Engage
by eorocks
Summary: Olivia and Elliot and the squad attend an engagement party for Casey and her fiancee. Elliot is his usual, overprotective self. What happens when Olivia decides she's had enough? E/O.
1. Chapter 1

_OK, here's a new story. This takes place in Season 7, before Fault. But Elliot is divorced instead of just separated. I don't own any of the characters except those I invented in this story. Please read and review. I always like to hear feedback to keep me going!_

EO FOREVER- EOEOEOEOEOEO

Olivia got out of the shower, drying herself off and wrapping a towel around her hair. She pulled on her robe and walked into her bedroom. Her black dress was laid out on the bed, with a pair of black and white pumps resting on the floor. She smiled, excited about the evening ahead. She was going to an engagement party for Casey and her fiancé Aaron. Casey's parents were hosting it at their house in East Massapequa, which was quite large and right on the water, so it was certain to be a somewhat swanky event.

Casey had been dating Aaron, a lawyer in a private firm, for a little over a year and they had gotten engaged about two months ago. Olivia was so happy for her. They were a good match, and Aaron treated Casey well. The wedding was going to be a small affair, and Olivia was her maid of honor. The rest of the squad was invited of course, both to the engagement party tonight and to the wedding.

Elliot, Fin and Munch had all complained about going to the party tonight, especially since it was out on Long Island, but Olivia had put her foot down and made it clear they were going. Casey had been a good ADA and a good friend to all of the detectives in SVU. They had all worked together for years and she deserved their support. She suggested that they all go together, simply because it was a long drive, and to make sure they actually came.

Normally Olivia didn't like to get dressed up, but it was nice to get dressed up sometimes and have a normal night out. And it was always fun to hang out with Elliot, unless he was in a 'mood'. Olivia had been in love with Elliot for as long as she could remember, but Elliot had been married for most of their partnership. So even though Elliot frequented her dreams, both day and night, she had kept those feelings to herself. They were exceptionally close, having been partners for so many years, but they had carefully defined boundaries. It wasn't unusual for them to spend 12 hours a day together, they talked and texted outside of work, they flirted sometimes, but that was the extent of it. They never revealed too much personal information, never let the looks linger too long, and they never touched unless absolutely necessary. It was as if they both knew that if they touched each other, they would be unable to stop. But now Elliot was divorced. He had been for several months, and had been adjusting to a new apartment in the city and visitation with his kids. She had hoped that once he was settled, he would make some kind of 'move', as she was pretty certain he felt the same way she did. But he hadn't, and it had left her confused. He continued to act like his normal, overprotective self around her, but hadn't changed the trajectory of their relationship at all. She was getting frustrated. Why did he act so overprotective, scaring off any potential dates, if he wasn't interested in her himself?

She heard her phone buzz on the nightstand. She walked over and saw it was a text message from Elliot. "On my way". Olivia gasped and looked at the time. She didn't realize she was running so far behind. She hadn't done her hair or makeup, much less gotten dressed. She hit REPLY and texted back. "Running behind. Let yourself in."

She ran into the bathroom and started getting ready.

EOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO

Elliot read Olivia's text message. He couldn't believe she wasn't ready. Olivia wasn't one to spend a lot of time 'primping' and she had been home all day. Of course, it helped that she was already amazingly beautiful. Elliot had seen her after days without sleep, no make-up and wearing the same clothes, and she was still stunning. Elliot may have been a little biased, as he was madly in love with Olivia. But he was pretty sure that it wasn't just him that thought so…he saw the way heads turned when she walked by. He had to listen to perps make rude and suggestive comments. He heard uniforms talking when they thought they couldn't hear them. There were also lots of rumors about Elliot's and Olivia's relationship; everyone assuming they were sleeping together. He wished. But they barely even touched each other; that would have been too dangerous. Olivia had been among the topics in several fights between Elliot and Kathy, and even though he denied it, he knew that it was part of the reason for his divorce. Kathy knew he was in love with Olivia.

Once he was divorced, he thought it would be easy to tell Olivia how he felt. He was pretty certain she felt the same way. But he hadn't. He couldn't. He was scared. Scared that she didn't feel the same way. Scared that even if she did feel the same way, she wouldn't want to change their relationship. SVU was her life, and if they were involved, they couldn't be partners any more. What would happen to them if they couldn't be partners anymore? And so he hadn't said or done anything. But he had to get his shit together. He had wanted her for so long, and now when he had the opportunity, he froze. He scrubbed his hands over his face, and then realized he had been standing there for ten minutes. He swiped his keys off the table and walked out, locking the door behind him.

EOEOEOEOEOEO

Olivia had finished her hair and makeup and walked into the bedroom. She put on a lacy black bra and a sheer black thong. She pulled on her dress, pulling the zipper up the back. She sat down on the bed and put on her strappy shoes. Finally dressed, she stood up and looked in the full length mirror attached to her closet door. Her black dress was form fitting, hugging her curves in all the right places. It was sleeveless, and had a scoop neck, showing some cleavage but not too much. With her shoes, the dress came to just above her knees. She turned left and right, and decided she looked OK for the party. She wanted to look nice, maybe attract the eye of a certain male detective, but not come across as slutty.

She heard a knock at her door and smiled. She couldn't believe she had actually finished getting ready before Elliot got there. She walked out of her bedroom, and walked to the door, peeking through the peephole before she opened it. She swung the door open to see Elliot, Fin and Munch standing there.

She smiled "Wow! All three of you came to pick me up?" She noticed Elliot giving her the once over, trying not to stare. She smiled and motioned for them to come in.

"Well, I wanted to give you a little extra time to get ready." Elliot said, walking into the apartment with Fin and Munch behind him.

"You look beautiful baby girl." said Fin, leaning over and giving her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Here here." said Munch. "You clean up nicely." He joked.

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Thanks John." She looked over at Elliot. He hadn't commented, but she could tell he was trying to stop his eyes from roving, looking anywhere but at her. His eyes finally met hers and he smiled. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yes, just let me grab a few things and we can go." She walked back into her bedroom, swaying her hips a little more than necessary as she went, smiling to herself.

Fin smacked Elliot in the arm as he watched him watching her. "Stop looking at her ass."

EOEOEOEOEOEO

They left the apartment and got into Elliot's car. Fin and Munch climbed in the backseat, and Elliot held the passenger door open for Olivia. Olivia slid in, quickly pulling her dress down as it rode up on her thighs. Elliot got into the driver's side, stealing a glance over at Olivia as she buckled herself in. He took in her long, tan legs and blew out a long breath through pursed lips. God, the things that woman did to him.

They made it to Casey's parents' home in just a little over an hour, chatting and laughing along the way. The guys weren't really looking forward to the engagement party per se, but they were always happy to hang out together and have a good time.

When they arrived, Elliot pulled up front and a young man came and took the car. Elliot helped Olivia out of the car, resting his hand lightly on her bare arm.

"This house is beautiful!" said Olivia. "I knew Casey's parent had money, but jeez…" They all walked up to the door and it opened as they reached it. They walked in and paused inside the doorway. They were in a larger foyer that opened to the right into a large living room. There was a huge stone fireplace on the back wall, and a wall of windows from floor to ceiling that faced the water. There were comfortable couches and chairs scattered throughout, but some of the furniture had obviously been moved to accommodate people. A bar was set up in the corner, near the windows, with some bar stools. There were people milling around with drinks in their hands, and servers carrying trays of food through the crowd. Olivia finally spotted Casey talking to some man Olivia didn't recognize, and caught her eye as Casey turned around. Casey waved and walked over, the man following her.

"Liv!" Casey said. "Hi guys." Casey gave Olivia a big hug and gave Elliot, Fin and Munch a quick kiss on the cheek. She had a huge smile on her face and Olivia had never seen her look so happy.

"Guys, this is Jack Spencer." said Casey, motioning to the man next to her. He was about the same height as Elliot, but had dark, wavy hair, green eyes and an athletic build. He was dressed in a nice, dark grey suit, with a white shirt and a dark green tie that matched his eyes. Olivia's eyes lingered for a moment as Casey introduced them. Elliot watched Olivia watching him, and saw her as she ran her tongue over her lower lip.


	2. Chapter 2

_I don't want people to get upset already. I am all about E/O. It will come. Please read and review. I always like to hear feedback to keep me going!_

"Jack and Aaron have been best friends since law school and work at the same firm. Jack is our best man." Casey continued. "Jack, these are the detectives I work with in SVU. This is Fin Tutuola, John Munch and Elliot Stabler." She said, motioning to each as Jack shook their hands. "And this is my best friend and my maid of honor, Olivia Benson."

Jack's eyes roved over Olivia's body as Casey was talking. When Casey introduced Olivia, Jack took her hand in his and raised it to his lips, flashing a grin at her. "Olivia. Very nice to meet you. I have heard a lot about you and Casey didn't do you justice. Next to Casey, you are clearly the most beautiful woman here. You're sexy as hell. " he said, holding on to her hand.

Elliot wanted to roll his eyes; he couldn't believe this guy had said that! This guy was just a little too arrogant; one of those guys that thought he was a gift to all women. He hoped Olivia saw through the act.

Olivia smiled, unsure of how to react to such a bold statement. Casey jumped in. She elbowed Jack and he dropped Olivia's hand.

"Jack." She looked at Olivia and the guys. "Sorry. Jack has no verbal filter. He says what's on his mind and it gets him in trouble." She turned back to him. "Knock it off."

He shrugged as if to say "what?" and turned back to Olivia, taking a step towards her. "Do you want to get a drink?"

Olivia opened her mouth to say something when she felt Elliot's hand on her lower back. "We're going to talk to some friends. But thanks." He guided her away from Casey and Jack, seeing Melinda and Captain Cragen on the other side of the room. Olivia looked back at them as they walked away. "I'll catch up with you in a little bit Casey." she said, allowing herself to be guided by Elliot.

EOEOEOEOEO

"Can you believe that guy?" asked Elliot. "What an ass."

"It's fine El. It's not like he insulted me. He just is a little blunt." Olivia said. "I love Aaron and I can't believe he would be good friends with someone that's a jerk."

"Yeah, well. I think the guys an ass. Stay away from him."

"Excuse me?" Olivia said, stopping. Fin and Munch kept walking, sensing trouble was brewing. She couldn't believe that Elliot was ordering her around. "You can't tell me who I can and can't talk to. Besides, he's the best man and we're going to have to spend time together." She wasn't really impressed with Jack, but now that Elliot was acting so damn overprotective again, it riled her up.

"Liv. That's not what I meant. C'mon. I don't want to fight." He smiled and put his hand on her arm, moving her forward towards the group.

Olivia sighed and let it go. She wanted to have fun tonight and didn't want to get into it with him right now.

EOEOEOEOEOEO

Jack watched Elliot guide Olivia away from them into the crowd.

"What's the story there?" he asked Casey.

Casey shrugged. "What do you mean?" She was so used to the Elliot and Olivia dynamic; she sometimes forgot how it looked to other people. "They're partners."

"Are they screwing?" Jack asked.

Casey shook her head and sighed. "Jack! No, but it's complicated. You don't want to get in the middle of that. There are plenty of other women. Leave Liv alone." she said. She liked Jack now that she knew him better, but he was very different from Aaron. Sometimes she was surprised they were such good friends. Jack was fairly arrogant (what he called confident) and very blunt and straightforward. They had gotten off on the wrong foot when she first met him, and she really hadn't liked him much until she got to know him better. He as a loyal friend to Casey and Aaron, but there was no doubt that he was very attractive and dated a lot of women. He wasn't the right guy for his best friend.

Jack held up his hands in mock defense. "Fine." He said, but kept watching as Olivia made her way over to her friends. Casey gave him a look, ready to say something more, but then someone walked up and interrupted, and she was off walking through the crowd.

EOEOEOEOEOEO

Olivia, Elliot, Munch, Fin, Melinda and Cragen were circled around each other, having a few drinks and enjoying the hors d'oeuvres. They had been talking for well over an hour when O'Halloran walked up and greeted everyone.

"Have you guys been downstairs? They have a beautiful billiards table and another glass wall that looks out over the water. There's a gorgeous pool and patio. This place is amazing."

"Billiards?" asked Munch. "Now you're talking my language. Who's up for a game?"

Elliot shrugged his shoulders. "I'll play."

Fin nodded. "I'm in."

Elliot looked at Olivia. "Is that OK with you?"

Olivia raised her eyebrow at him. "Why would I care?"

"I don't want to leave you alone."

Cragen chimed in. "We're here. How is she going to be alone?" Olivia nodded, knowing that Elliot was still in overprotective mode. "Go. I'm fine."

Elliot, Fin and Munch left with O'Halloran, headed down the stairs.

Olivia stood and talked to Melinda and Cragen for a few more minutes.

"I'm going to get another drink." She said. "I'll be right back." Olivia wandered over to the windows, looking out over the water. The sun was setting and it was absolutely gorgeous.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Olivia heard a voice behind her. When she turned her head, she saw Jack standing there, invading her personal space just a little too much.

"Hmm. Yes, it is." She acknowledged, taking a step away from him, but still looking through the windows.

"I'm surprised your handler let you out of his sight." He said.

Olivia turned to look at him, an incredulous look on her face. "Excuse me?" she sputtered, starting to get angry.

"You heard what I said." He smiled at her.

"You're unbelievable." She said, shaking her head. "Do you hear the things that come out of your mouth?"

"Are you going to deny it? He watches over you like a hawk. I mean, I don't blame him. You are unbelievably beautiful and sexy as hell. You must have guys trying to get in your pants all the time." He placed a hand on her shoulder. "But if you aren't involved with him, then why do you let him chase every other man away?"

Olivia shook her head again. "Take your hand off of me." She said, pushing his hand off her shoulder. "You don't know anything about him. Or me."

"I know that you're not sleeping with him. And yet…you let him own you."

"I'm not talking to you anymore. Leave me alone." She started to walk away, steaming, when Casey and Aaron walked up. "Oh great!" said Aaron. "You guys are getting to know each other better."

Olivia stopped and looked over at Jack. She turned back to Casey and Aaron, not wanting to ruin their evening. She smiled. "Yes. We are."

"I was just going to get Olivia another drink." said Jack, turning around to the bar. "What are you drinking?" he asked Olivia.

"Red wine is fine." She said, smiling back at him, even though it was killing her.

"Hey Liv." said Casey. "We were thinking that maybe we would have the bachelor and bachelorette party together. We feel like we're too old to go the traditional route. Maybe just a night out with the entire crew. What do you think of that?"

Olivia smiled. "Whatever you want to do Case. I'm here to support you." Jack handed her the glass of wine, and the four of them kept talking about the party and the wedding. Inside, Olivia was thinking about what Jack had said. She was angry. This guy had a lot of balls to think he knew her and Elliot; that he knew about their relationship. But on the other hand, there was a ring of truth to what he said. Elliot did scare off other guys; and she let him because she had hoped it was because he had feelings for her. But now, he hadn't made any attempt to move their relationship forward. Maybe that was what angered her more. That this guy barely knew her and yet he had seen something she had been ignoring.

"Liv? Did you hear what I said?" asked Casey.

"Oh. Sorry. What?"

Casey laughed. "Are you drunk already?"

"No!" said Olivia. "I was just thinking about something else. Sorry. What did you say?"

Casey rolled her eyes. "Never mind. We can talk about it later. Let's go find my mom. She wanted to make sure she saw you." Casey started to walk away and Olivia followed her. As they walked over towards Casey's parents, Olivia grabbed another glass of wine on the server's tray and deposited her empty glass. Olivia loved Casey's parents, but Casey's mom was always prying into her personal life and she knew this time would be no exception. Now that Casey was _FINALLY_ getting married (in her mom's words), she would be grilling Olivia next.


	3. Chapter 3

_Please read and review. I always like to hear feedback to keep me going!_

EOEOEOEOEOEO

The guys had been playing pool for well over an hour, and Elliot was kicking ass. They started to place some friendly wagers on the game. There were a few people downstairs watching them, and others had wandered out enjoying the pool and the warm weather. He kept an eye open, but Olivia never wandered downstairs.

"Another game?" asked Munch after Elliot won again. Elliot paused a moment, wondering where Olivia was. "I'm just going to go grab a beer" said Elliot. "And then I will be right back."

Elliot went upstairs and looked around. He saw Casey and Olivia talking to some older people, talking and laughing. He headed over to the bar and saw Aaron and Jack. He walked up to the bartender and ordered a beer. While the bartender poured, Aaron walked over and Jack followed.

"Are you having a good time Elliot?" asked Aaron.

"Yeah, I've been playing pool downstairs with some of the guys."

"Good." said Aaron. "Glad to hear it. I was worried everyone would be bored. I know I thought I would be." He said with a smile. "I love Casey, but an engagement party?" He looked over at Casey and she waved him over. "Speaking of which…I am being called. Have a good time."

Elliot and Jack watched him as he wandered over, placing a hand on her waist and a kiss on her cheek when he got there.

"He really loves her." Jack said, placing his empty glass on the bar. "And I love her too. She's been really good for him."

"Yeah." said Elliot. He didn't really know Aaron that well, but if Casey was happy…

"So. Your partner. Olivia. What's the story there?" Jack asked, leaning on the bar with his forearms and looking up at Elliot.

"What d'ya mean?" asked Elliot. He didn't want to talk to this guy, especially about Olivia.

"What's the deal with you two? Casey says you're not banging her…"

Elliot stood taller, unconsciously making himself bigger than Jack. He pointed a finger at Jack. "Shut up. Shut the fuck up. You do not talk about her."

"Did I hit a nerve?" asked Jack. He could tell there was something going on. "Then maybe Casey doesn't know the whole story. You can't tell me there's nothing going on with you two. I've watched how you two are together. You own her and she lets you. You've got to get something out of that." He smiled. "I bet she's amazing in bed; a real tiger."

Elliot had to take a deep breath because he wanted to smack this guy and wipe the stupid smile off his face. He looked at Jack and in a quiet voice said "I told you to shut up. Olivia and I are none of your business. You don't look at her. You don't talk to her. And I won't take you outside and beat the shit out of you." He grabbed his beer and went back downstairs, looking over at Olivia as he walked by. She was busy in conversation so she didn't see what had transpired at the bar. He debated whether or not he should go back downstairs or stay upstairs with her. He looked over at Jack, but he was talking to some other guys at the bar. He took one last look at Olivia and walked downstairs.

EOEOEOEOEOEOEO

Olivia politely excused herself from the discussion and started to head back towards the bar. She saw Jack standing there and decided against it. She snagged another glass of wine of a server's tray and headed downstairs to see what was going on.

Elliot looked up as she came downstairs. Olivia was a little unsteady on her feet as she walked towards the guys playing pool. He smiled, wondering how many glasses of wine she had.

He met her as she reached the pool table, and he reached out to steady her with his hand. "Are you OK?"

Olivia furrowed her brow. "I'm fine. Why?"

"You were just swaying a little. How much have you had to drink?" asked Elliot.

"Are you my father?" she asked. She knew it sounded bitchy, and that he was just concerned about her, but she couldn't help herself. Ever since Jack had brought up Elliot's hovering over her, she was sensitive to it.

Elliot moved his hand off her arm. "Fine." He said, throwing his hands in the air. "I was just asking. Not judging." He walked back over to the pool table and picked up the pool cue, resuming the game.

"You having fun Liv?" asked Fin.

"Yeah. I just got grilled by Casey's mom about why I'm not married or even dating. That's always a lot of fun. Really boosts your self esteem." She pasted on a fake smile.

Fin laughed. "Don't sweat it Benson. It'll happen when it happens."

Olivia let out a heavy sigh, and watched the guys play for a few minutes. Quickly boring of that, she grabbed another glass of wine and headed out the French doors to the pool and patio area. She walked all the way past the pool to the railed off edge of the patio, overlooking the water. She leaned her elbows on the rail and looked down, enjoying the sound of the waves on the shore. It was such a peaceful sound. She took another sip of wine, and realized Elliot was right. She was getting pretty drunk. But what the hell? Tomorrow was Sunday and she could sleep all day.

She set her glass of wine down on the little table next to her and looked around. There wasn't anyone else out on the patio. The wind had picked up slightly and she shuddered a little with the breeze. But it felt refreshing after being inside all evening. She looked back out at the water, but couldn't see too much as there was just a sliver of moon.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" she heard someone say as they walked up behind her. She turned around in time to see Jack walk right up to her. He placed his left hand on her waist and his right hand wrapped around the back of her head as he leaned in and kissed her hard. Olivia brought her hands up and pushed on his chest, but she was no match for his strength and he didn't relent, possessing her mouth with his lips. She gasped and he took that opportunity to delve into her mouth with his tongue, deepening the kiss. He let his hand slip from her side to her back, pulling her body closer to his. Olivia didn't resist but also didn't participate. He slowly pulled his mouth from hers, but didn't release her body.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Olivia gasped. She tried to push him away, but he didn't give in.

"If you don't know what I'm doing, then it's been too long." he whispered in her ear. "Instead of doing what your partner wants you to do, why don't you try doing what you want to do?" His lips crushed hers again in a searing kiss that Olivia felt right down to her core. His lips moved down her neck and Olivia moaned. She couldn't believe she was letting this jerk kiss her but it _had_ been too long and her body was betraying her. And she was pissed at Elliot; pissed about misleading her all of these years and playing the overprotective jerk when he had no intention of having a relationship with her. Well screw him. She was a big girl and she could do what she wanted.

Olivia wrapped her arms around his neck and molded herself into his body and he smiled against her neck. His hands dropped down, and he ran his hands down the back of her thighs, and back up again, taking the dress with it. He ran his hands over the smooth skin of her ass, groaning. His lips dipped down, kissing the top of her breasts while his hands found the top of her thong and pulled it down, letting it drop to the patio floor.

"God, you have an amazing body." He ran his hands up her sides, along her breasts and back down to her hips. "A body like this is meant to be enjoyed." Olivia couldn't believe this shit coming out of his mouth, but she was too drunk and too horny to say anything. Jack came across as a little arrogant before but his hands and his mouth on her body felt so good. She couldn't find the will to push him away.

He lifted her up and set her on the table that was next to them, pushing her wineglass out of the way. He stood back and looked at her with a predatory smile on his face, unbuckling his belt and unzipping his pants. Olivia's breath hitched as he pushed her dress up on her thighs, her bare bottom coming in contact with the cold table. He lined himself with her core and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He leaned in and kissed her again, thrusting into her as his tongue thrust into her mouth. She gasped at the suddenness of it; she hadn't been prepared. She broke the kiss, breathing heavily, but started to adjust as she felt him throbbing inside of her. Slowly he started to move inside her, thrusting hard. She wrapped her legs tighter around his waist, and her arms around his neck. She threw her head back as Jack buried his face in her neck.

"Fuck. You feel amazing." He said, kissing her neck and the top of her breasts. He reached down between their bodies, finding her clit and rubbing his thumb over her relentlessly. "Come on baby. Come with me." He picked up his pace and Olivia threw her head back, delirious with the feelings coursing through her body. She could feel that familiar feeling in her core and knew she was close.

"Shit. Holy shit." She said as she came hard, and Jack thrust into her a few more times before he was coming inside her as well. He slowed his motions, breathing hard against her neck, and Olivia loosened her grip around his neck.

Suddenly, the heard voices and they both stopped and looked over towards the house. It was completely dark now but they could see shadowy figures coming out of the house and on to the patio. Jack abruptly stepped back, dropping Olivia's legs and almost causing her to fall off the table. He pulled her onto her feet, and Olivia pulled down her dress while Jack pulled up his pants. Olivia smoothed her hands over her hair as Jack stepped back towards the railing, distancing himself slightly from her.

Two couples walked up, and Olivia didn't know them.

"Hey" said one of the guys, looking at Olivia and Jack. "Hope we're not interrupting anything."

"Nope." said Jack. "We were just talking. Olivia is Casey's maid of honor so we're planning a few things for the wedding." Jack introduced them as people that worked with he and Aaron, but Olivia really wasn't paying attention. The reality of what happened was raining down on her and she had to get out of there.

"Well. It was nice to meet you" she said, her voice trembling slightly. "But I have to excuse myself." She looked over at Jack and he had a slightly amused smile on his face. She gave a slight smile and turned around, aiming for the house.


	4. Chapter 4

_Please read and review. I always like to hear feedback to keep me going!_

EOEOEOEOEOEO

Olivia made her way back into the house, and saw the guys were still playing pool. Unbelievable. But part of her was happy as they were distracted and didn't see her pass by. She had to find a bathroom. She saw one at the end of the room, and headed straight for it. She shut the door and leaned against the sink. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and shook her head. What the hell had she done? What had she been thinking? The answer was…she hadn't. She was slightly drunk, extremely horny, and pissed at Elliot. But Jack? Oh my God…she was an idiot. She needed to get cleaned up and get the hell out of there. She pulled up her dress to use the toilet and reached for her thong. Damnit! It wasn't there. She had left it where it dropped on the patio. She groaned. Someone was going to find it out there. She dropped her head in her hands as she peed. This was something horny teenagers did, not a grown woman. Her only comfort was that no one would know they were her underwear. She groaned again because this isn't something that someone her age should even have to think about. She cleaned up as best she could, washed her hands, and straightened out her hair and dress once again. She sighed, and opened the bathroom door. The guys were still engrossed in what they were doing, and there were lots of people downstairs. She walked over the stairs, and saw Melinda coming down.

"Liv. There you are. I was looking for you." said Melinda. "Where have you been?"

"Here and there. I got some fresh air and then was watching the pool game. You know…" she trailed off.

Melinda gave her a strange look. "Are you OK?"

"Yes, why?"

"No reason. You just have a strange look on your face." Mel said.

Olivia shook her head. She could only imagine. "I'm fine. I just need to get a drink." she said. And she meant it.

"OK." said Melinda. "I'm just going to run downstairs and see what's going on and then I'll be back up."

Olivia walked over to the bar. "I'll have a vodka, straight up." she said, sitting down on the barstool. The bartender gave her the drink and she chugged it down. "Another please." she said, pushing the glass towards the bartender.

"Whoa. Better slow down." Olivia turned to see Jack walking up next to her and sliding into the seat next to her.

"No." she said. The bartender gave her the drink and she drank it down. She started to get up, but Jack grabbed her arm and pushed her back in her seat.

"Don't go."

"I can't do this. I am not…_that _woman." She looked around to see if anyone was in earshot. "I am not the kind of woman that has a quick fuck with some stranger." She said in a whisper.

"And yet, your underwear is in my pocket." He said with a smile.

"You son of a …." Olivia started to say when she saw Elliot out of the corner of her eye.

"Everything OK here?" he asked, putting a possessive hand on Olivia's shoulder and looking back and forth between the two of them.

"Yes." said Jack, standing up. "I was just leaving. It was nice to talk to you again Olivia."

Olivia smiled up at Jack but didn't say anything. Damn Elliot for interrupting them. As much as she wanted to get away from Jack, she wanted her underwear more.

"Liv. It's almost midnight. We're thinking about heading back to the city. You ready to go?"

Olivia sighed. She was more than ready. She nodded and started to stand up, but after those two quick drinks, she wobbled on her heels. Elliot reached out to steady her for the second time that night. After her outburst earlier, he didn't say anything. He just started walking towards the door with his hand holding her upper arm.

"I have to say goodbye to Casey and Aaron." she said, looking up at Elliot.

Elliot sighed. "Really?" He was just anxious to get out of there.

"Yes! We can't just leave." She looked around the room, and saw Munch and Fin talking to the couple. She turned in that direction and started to make her way over, Elliot in tow. When they got there, she pulled on Casey's arm, and the blonde turned towards her.

"Liv! I haven't seen you for the last hour. Where have you been hiding?" Casey said.

"I've been walking around talking to people." she said, looking over at Elliot. He seemed oblivious, more focused on getting out of there. "We're going, so I just wanted to say good-bye and thanks." She hugged Casey and Elliot leaned over and gave Casey a kiss on the cheek.

"OK. Drive safely." Casey said. "See you on Monday."

The four of them walked towards the door and they passed by Jack talking to a group of co-workers. As they passed by, Jack looked up, and winked at Olivia. Elliot caught it and looked at her.

"What's that about?" he asked.

"How the hell do I know?" she said, sounding annoyed. "You know he's an ass."

Elliot put his hand in the small of Olivia's back and kept it there as they walked out with Fin and Munch.

EOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO

Elliot and Olivia dropped Fin and Munch off and headed back to Olivia's apartment. When they got there, Elliot walked her up to her apartment.

"Liv." Elliot said as she unlocked her door. "Do you care if I just crash on your couch? I'm so tired. I don't think I can drive anymore." Olivia looked over at him. It wasn't unusual to have Elliot sleep on her couch; she just wasn't sure it was such a good idea tonight.

"El. I don't know…" she started.

"Liv. I swear…" he said, holding up his hands. "I'm not trying anything here. I just want to sleep."

Olivia sighed. "Fine." She dropped her purse on the kitchen counter and walked over to the hall closet, pulling out an extra pillow and a blanket. "Here you go." She said, handing it off to him. "Good night." She said as she headed towards her bedroom.

Elliot watched her go, feeling like there was something going on that he didn't understand. But he was so tired; he just couldn't deal with it so he let her go. He pulled off his clothes and climbed onto the couch, falling asleep in just a few minutes.

EOEOEOEOEOEO

Olivia woke up late in the morning, threw on some sweats and headed out to the kitchen to make some coffee. Elliot was still sound asleep on the couch, but he woke up when he heard Olivia moving around the kitchen. He sat up and groaned.

"I could really use some of that coffee." he said, putting his head in his hands.

"Hungover?" Olivia asked.

"No. Just really tired. It was a long week." The words were barely out of his mouth when his phone started ringing. Olivia looked over at him and groaned when she recognized Cragen's ringtone.

"No." she said. "Please. No." She stared at Elliot while he answered, hearing one side of the conversation. He hung up the phone and looked over at her.

"Sorry. We have to roll. Go get dressed."

Olivia poured herself a cup of coffee and headed for the bedroom. She was back out in 15 minutes and they headed out the door with Elliot in the clothes he had worn to the party.

The rest of the day went quickly as they talked to the victim, spent time at the crime scene and interviewed witnesses. They grabbed some dinner around 8PM and then headed back to the precinct to work on the case. Finally, around midnight, they headed up to the cribs to get some sleep, both too tired to go home.

EOEOEOEOEOEOEO

The next morning, they had both showered and changed into some clean clothes at the station, and Olivia felt a little better. They ran out to get some coffee and breakfast before digging back into the case. Then they ran through the facts of the case with Fin and Munch and Cragen, trying to figure out what their next steps should be. They decided to go through some of the computer records and look for similar MO's, so Elliot and Olivia sat back down at their desks. While they were working, Casey came into the squad room.

"Good morning! How's everyone doing?" she asked.

"Fine" they all said in unison.

"I really appreciate that you all came to the party." said Casey. "I hope it wasn't a total bore."

"No, it was fun." said Elliot. "I won at least $100 playing pool!" he said with a smile.

"Nice, Stabler." said Fin.

"Half that money is mine." Said Munch.

Olivia didn't say anything, which was unusual. Casey looked over at her. "Did you have fun Liv?"

Olivia nodded. "Sure. It was nice to see Aaron and to see your parents again." She said, but not with a lot of enthusiasm. She wanted to forget that night. And she did NOT want to see Jack again. But she knew she would have to see him several times before the wedding and then of course, on the day of the wedding. She was dreading it.

"Thanks. Well, who wants to fill me in on this case?" she asked, looking at Olivia and Elliot. Elliot stood up and spent the next several minutes filling her in.

"Thanks" said Casey. "Let me know when you have an update." She said, walking out of the squad room.

As she was walking out, a messenger walked in. "A delivery for Elliot Stabler."

Elliot raised his hand from where he was sitting at his desk. "Stabler here."

The messenger walked over, had Elliot sign his log and handed him a plain, 8-1/2 x 11, brown envelope. It had his name on the front, but nothing else. He opened it up and found another, similar sized envelope inside, one end folded slightly so it would fit inside. He pulled it out and saw something written on it.

"What is it?" asked Olivia. Munch and Fin were watching too. "What does it say?"

Elliot read it out loud. It says "You can keep these for yourself or return them to Olivia." Elliot got a confused look on his face and looked over at Liv. She shook her head, having no idea what the message meant. Elliot started to open up the envelope when all of a sudden Olivia sprang out of her chair.

"Wait!" she yelled, trying to reach across the desk. But it was too late as her black thong fell out of the envelope and on to Elliot's desk.

_**Dun Dun Dun…**_


	5. Chapter 5

_Please read and review. I always like to hear feedback to keep me going and to know if people are enjoying the story or if I should change it up!_

_**End of last chapter:**_

_Elliot read it out loud. It says "You can keep these for yourself or return them to Olivia." Elliot got a confused look on his face and looked over at Liv. She shook her head, having no idea what the message meant. Elliot started to open up the envelope when all of a sudden Olivia sprang out of her chair. _

"_Wait!" she yelled, trying to reach across the desk. But it was too late as her black thong fell out of the envelope and on to Elliot's desk._

**EOEOEOEOEOEO**

Olivia closed her eyes and muttered under her breath. Fucking Jack Spencer. What the hell did he think he was doing? This wasn't some damn game. This was her life. She opened her eyes to see Elliot looking up at her. She was powerless to do or say anything as she saw Elliot trying to process what was going on.

Elliot looked up at her and he could tell from her horrified expression on her face that the underwear was hers. He looked back down again, taking in the note and the underwear, and then back up at her, trying to comprehend what the message meant and where the underwear had come from. And then it hit him.

"Jack Spencer." he said out loud. He knew he was right when Olivia's face turned crimson. It went through his mind that he didn't think he had ever seen Olivia blush before, even though it didn't really register as the thought hit. He was still too busy trying to figure out what was going on.

"I don't understand." he said with a confused look on his face. He gestured towards the underwear sitting on his desk. "Where did he get these? I've been with you since we left the party…" and just like that, the other piece of the puzzle fell into place for Elliot. "The party. You fucked him. You fucked Jack Spencer _AT _the party!?" he hurled at her, more of an accusation than a question.

Olivia visibly flinched, both at the accusation and his choice of words. Everyone around them could hear him and she had never been more mortified. But before she could even react, Elliot stood up, almost knocking his chair over, and pounded his fists on his desk. "Are you fucking kidding me? I leave you alone for a few hours and this is what happens? I told you to stay away from that guy and you…you..." Elliot was enraged. "What? A guy throws a few compliments your way and you drop you panties and screw him? God. At your _best friend's_ engagement party?" He was spewing out the words faster than Olivia could even comprehend and everyone was staring. She started to tear up, and Fin walked over to Elliot.

"Hey man. Calm down. Not here. Don't do this here." Fin tried to put a hand on Elliot's arm to calm him down and Elliot swatted it away. "Don't you fucking touch me."

Captain Cragen came out of his office after hearing the yelling. "What the hell is going on out here?" he bellowed, getting everyone's attention. He saw an enraged Elliot and a horrified Olivia and looked back and forth between the two.

Olivia just shook her head, still unable to react to everything that was going on. Elliot looked at the Captain, and then looked back at Olivia, his rage barely contained. He pushed his way past Fin and stormed out of the squad room. Fin walked over to Olivia and put his hands on her shoulders.

"Are you OK?" he said.

Cragen interrupted. "Is someone going to tell me what the hell is going on?" he asked. He walked over closer to Elliot's desk and saw the black thong lying there. He looked over at Olivia and Fin with a questioning look in his eyes.

"Do I want to know what's going on?" he asked.

Fin answered. "Not right now Cap'n. OK?"

Cragen looked at Olivia and could see how upset she was. "OK. But let's all remember that we have a job to do." He said as he turned around and walked back into his office.

"Thanks." Olivia whispered to Fin.

"Why don't you go up to the cribs and take a few minutes." Fin suggested, pushing her towards the stairs. Olivia didn't object. She was so mortified by everything that had happened in just the last ten minutes, she didn't think she would ever be able to come back into the squad room.

EOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO

Elliot went up to the roof, pacing back and forth and shaking his head, trying to control his rage and jealousy. He had no right to be jealous. Olivia could see anyone she wanted. He wasn't naïve enough to think that Olivia never dated or had sex, but thankfully, she kept those details of her personal life to herself. Like she knew it would kill him to think of her with other men. And it did. He couldn't think about it. So maybe it was just being confronted with the reality of it so…personally. He just couldn't believe it.

He also couldn't believe that Olivia would never just have sex with a random stranger, especially at a party. That just wasn't like her. Was she _that _drunk? Oh God. Maybe she had been too drunk and that asshole Jack had forced himself on her. And where had he been? He should have been watching over her like he usually did.

That thought brought up all of the comments Jack had made to him. He had called Elliot her handler. Was that what people saw? Did he scare all the other guys away with his behavior and ruin her chances of finding someone to make her happy? He knew the answer to that. The answer was yes. Because he loved her; she was his. Didn't she know that? How could she fuck that asshole Jack Spencer?

Elliot was still pacing back and forth, arguing with himself, when the door banged open and Olivia stormed through. She has calmed herself in the cribs, and then started to get mad at Elliot. Mad at him for embarrassing her, mad at him for trying to control her life and mad at him for making her believe he felt something for her when he obviously didn't.

Elliot stopped pacing and stopped to look at her as she closed the space between them. She stopped about ten feet away, with her hands on her hips.

"You're an asshole." she said. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm a grown woman and I will fuck whomever the hell I please." She stated, purposefully using the vulgarity he had thrown at her earlier. "And it is none of your goddamn business." She walked up to him and punctuated her statement by poking her finger in his chest as she spoke.

Elliot started to say something but she glared at him as if daring him to interrupt. "You don't own me Elliot Stabler. I am not your wife. I am not your girlfriend. I am just your partner. And I am sick of tired of you hovering over me, pretending you give two shits about me when you don't. So stop interfering in my personal life because it has _nothing_ to do with you. Do you understand?"

Olivia had put her hands back on her hips. Her chest and face were flushed with the adrenaline running through her system, and she was trying hard not to cry. This felt like the end to her…the end of her hoping for something more with Elliot. But she had waited so long, and it wasn't going to happen. She had to move on and even though she knew it was going to be hard, she couldn't keep her heart exposed any longer.

Elliot stood and stared at her, as if trying to comprehend everything she had said. He shook his head and all of the rage left him suddenly.

"Liv." he said softly.

She startled at his soft tone, expecting an all out yelling match. She took a step back from him, unsure if she wanted to hear what he was going to say.

"Don't." she said, putting her hands up as if to shield herself.

"Don't what? You don't even know what I'm going to say." he said, taking a step in her direction.

"I don't want to hear it." She said, and turned away from him and started walking towards the door. Elliot took a few long strides and caught up with her, looping his arm around her waist and stopping her.

"Let go of me!" she said, trying to push his arm from around her waist. But he held on and wrapped his other arm around the other side. He pulled her close with her back to him, burying his face in her hair.

Olivia was shocked by his actions. They don't touch. Especially like this. What the hell did he think he was doing? "Don't" she said again, struggling against him.

"Liv." he said, his hot breath on her neck as he continued to hold her close. "Liv. I am so sorry. I didn't mean to say all of those awful things to you. I wish I could take it all back."

And now Olivia was dumbstruck because Elliot never apologized to her…for anything.

"I lost my mind. I was so jealous when I figured out what happened. I felt like you had cheated on me. I couldn't understand how you could do that to me when you know how I feel about you." Olivia gasped lightly. "But then I realized, I haven't ever really told you how I feel about you. I just thought you knew. But maybe that's not good enough. I know it's not good enough." He took a deep breath. "Olivia, I love you. I am in love with you. I have been for a long time."

Elliot loosened his grip slightly and turned Olivia around so she was facing him. His hands moved up and cupped her cheeks, forcing her to gaze into his eyes. He saw tears brimming on her lower lashes. He wiped them away with his thumbs. "Liv. Olivia Benson. I love you."

Elliot watched Olivia's eyes, and he could see her struggling with what he had said. He didn't know what he was going to do if she didn't feel the same way about him. Olivia was biting her lower lip and she looked away. Elliot's heart sank.

"Liv?"

"Elliot. You don't know how long I have wanted to hear you say that. But now that you have, it scares this shit out of me. I don't know what to say."

"How about if you tell me that you love me too?" he smiled at her.

Olivia looked back at him, staring into his blue eyes and smiling. "Kiss me Elliot."

Elliot had never been happier to oblige. He leaned in, and gently placed his lips on hers, relishing the moment. He had dreamt of this so many times. Her lips were soft against his slightly chapped lips and she moaned a little as he sucked at her lower lip. He gently deepened the kiss, placing his hand on the back of her head and their bodies molded together as he pulled her close. As they slowly parted to catch their breath, Olivia smiled up at Elliot. "I love you too."


	6. Chapter 6

Please read and review.

EOEOEOEO

Elliot was kissing Olivia and it was better than he ever could have imagined, but suddenly, an image of Jack Spencer popped into his head and he pulled away. He turned around and took a couple of steps away from her.

"What?" asked Olivia, sensing a change in his mood.

He turned around and looked at her, a look of pain on his face. "How could you have sex with him? For God's sake, you just met him. And he's an asshole."

Olivia felt like someone had hit a rewind button. She looked down at her feet and then back at Elliot. "I don't know what happened."

Her statement startled him, and Elliot took a step towards her. "I know you were drunk. Were you too drunk to consent? Did he force himself on you? " He was hoping she would say yes and that he could arrest the bastard.

Olivia shook her head. "It happened so fast." She whispered and now Elliot really was concerned that the jackass had actually raped her. She took a deep breath. "But I could have stopped him."

She could see that Elliot was getting angry. His neck was getting red and he was fisting and unfisting his hands.

She took a step towards him. "El, that's not me. I don't hook up with random strangers…you know that right?"

Elliot's anger had him seeing red and he wasn't thinking clearly anymore. "I don't know Olivia, do you? I feel like I don't even know you. Who _does_ that? Who meets someone at a party and …" Elliot scrubbed his hands over his face. "That happens in college maybe, but…Jeez. How many other guys have there been that I don't even know about? Is that what you do? Go out to the bars and bring strange men home and into your bed?"

Now it was Olivia's turn to get angry. She couldn't believe that Elliot was saying these things to her. She wanted to defend herself; but was more upset that Elliot thought he could just say anything he wanted to her…and that he was in control of her life.

"That's right Elliot. You _**don't**_ know me. I pick up all kinds of men. And do you want to hear about what I let those men do to me? Anything they want…"

Elliot held up his hands, trying to block out her words. "Stop it."

"No! You asked. You wanted to hear about it. So many men Elliot. Stripping off my clothes, their hands and mouths all over my body…"

"Stop it!" he yelled, his hand in a fist, moving towards her. Olivia took a step back. She hadn't ever been worried that Elliot would hurt her, but the anger in his eyes was like nothing she had ever seen before. Elliot stopped right before he reached her, seeing the look of fear in her eyes. He was physically trembling with his attempt to control his anger. Olivia was breathing heavily, just watching him. After a minute of intensity, Elliot turned his back to her and walked away, taking deep breaths and blowing them out through pursed lips.

"Elliot." Olivia whispered. He stopped but he didn't turn around. "Don't walk away."

Elliot still didn't turn around, but he didn't move either.

"Stop. Please. The night of the party…I was confused. I…I thought that after your divorce that maybe things would be different between us. I thought that maybe you felt the same way about me that I felt about you. But it's been months and nothing's changed. And it was OK…I mean, I was OK with it. I figured it would happen when it happened." She took a tentative step closer, but Elliot still had his back to her. "And then, at the party, when Jack said all of those things…he made me realize that you did try to keep me for yourself and that made me angry. It made me angry because it was true…and yet, we didn't have a relationship. If you didn't want me, then why were you so overprotective? Why didn't you want me to date anyone? I was angry that he saw it, but I hadn't."

Olivia sighed heavily. "So later that night…I was drunk, and a little mad. I was out on the patio and all of a sudden he was there and he was kissing me and…it just happened so fast. I wasn't the most willing participant but I didn't stop him. And after…I felt so horrified. I couldn't believe it."

She closed the distance between them, and placed a hand on his arm. "I'm sorry. I didn't do it to hurt you." She shook her head. "I guess I thought I could convince myself that I didn't need you. That I didn't love you."

Elliot turned around then and looked at Olivia, her hand dropping from his arm. Olivia continued. "I'm sorry. That's not me…I don't do that. I don't pick up strange men. And even though it's really none of your business what I do with my personal life, I understand why you're upset. If I found out you slept with someone else in the past few months, I would be upset too."

Elliot looked away from her, digesting everything she had just said. Olivia took a step closer, leaving just a foot between them. "El." She said softly.

Olivia had tears brimming on her lower lashes. She and Elliot had fought before but this felt like an end. She didn't think they could get past this; they had never said such hateful things to each other.

Elliot looked up at her; he saw the tears in her eyes. His shoulders sagged. He was suddenly so tired. What the hell was he doing? Olivia had finally admitted her feelings for him; and him for her. And now he was dragging up all of this shit…

For the second time in a day, Elliot apologized to Olivia. "I'm sorry Liv. I am so sorry." He moved in and wrapped his arms around her. "I was just so jealous. I don't want anyone touching you, and you know I don't have much luck controlling my anger. But I should only be angry with myself…for not telling you how I felt the minute my divorce was final. I know it must have confused you."

He pulled back and looked at her. "And what happened at the party isn't your fault either. That ass was obviously trying to stir up trouble. This was as much about me as it was about you. He's an arrogant prick…which is obvious with the stunt he pulled with the envelope. He's just trying to cause trouble."

He pulled her close again. "Maybe I should thank him because if all of that hadn't happened, I might not have had the balls to tell you how I felt."

Olivia smiled against his shoulder. "Somehow, I don't see you thanking him if you see him again."

"Yeah, you're probably right."

"Liv. I'm sorry. Sometimes I am such an ass." Elliot rubbed his hands up and down her back. "Just the thought of someone else touching you…it drives me insane."

Olivia pulled back. "Elliot. I'm sorry too. I said some pretty awful things too."

"Sometimes we bring out the worst in each other. Maybe it's just because our feelings are so strong…" Elliot said.

Olivia sighed. "Maybe." Her hands were still resting at his waist, and Elliot still had his hands wrapped around waist. "So where does that leave us now?" she asked, looking up at him, afraid of what he was going to say.

"Can you forgive me? For all of the awful things I said to you today?"

"El. We've done a lot of things over the years to hurt each other. We've said some pretty awful things…although you really ramped it up today in the squadroom…"

"Hey, I apologized for that."

"Doesn't make it less embarrassing." She said. "I'm still not sure how I can go back down there."

"I'm sorry. I was upset. The thought of you and that asshole…" Just the thought of it was starting to get him worked up again.

"I get it. But really Elliot, I didn't know how you felt. I mean, I thought I did, but you never said or did anything… So I was confused. I made a mistake; an error in judgment. Believe me, if I could take it back, I would."

"I know. I had no right to be angry with you. Just promise me that you won't ever let any other man touch you. Ever."

Olivia's eyes got big. "Ever?"

"Ever." Elliot wrapped his arms around Olivia. "Let me be very clear. I love you Olivia Benson. And I'm not ever letting you go."

Elliot leaned down to give her a kiss when the metal door banged open, startling them both. They jumped apart and saw Fin come through the door.

"Hey. Everything OK up here? Cap'n sent me to check on you two and make sure you hadn't killed each other."

Elliot and Olivia looked at each other guiltily. "Yes, everything's fine." They said in unison. Fin gave them a skeptical look. "Well come on. Casey's here and has some kind of update for you two." He waited until they started walking towards him, the Elliot and Olivia knew they would have to finish this conversation later.


	7. Chapter 7

_I hope you're enjoying this story. I appreciate any and all reviews. Thanks!_

EOEOEOEOEOEO

Olivia followed Elliot and Fin back into the squadroom, nervous about the reaction to Elliot's earlier outburst. When they walked in, everyone was busy…but probably trying hard to be intentionally. Casey was leaning up against Olivia's desk and she stood up when she saw Olivia.

"Liv. Can I talk to you? Privately?" she motioned upstairs, to the break area.

"Can it wait?" asked Olivia. She wasn't sure if Casey had heard about the entire scene. She walked over to her desk and saw that the thong was gone. Probably thanks to Munch or Fin. She wasn't sure if she was happy about one of them having her underwear, but it was better than leaving it out on Elliot's desk.

"No." said Casey.

Olivia followed Casey up the stairs to the break area. Casey never said anything as they walked. When they got up there, Casey turned to her.

"Liv. Aaron called me this morning after I left here. He said that Jack was talking to him and told him that you two…" she paused, considering what she was going to say. "We're intimate. At our party."

Olivia sighed and sat down at the table, not looking at Casey.

Casey sat down across from her. "Is that true?"

Olivia looked up at Casey. She didn't say anything, but the look on her face told Casey that it was true.

Casey sighed. "Oh Liv."

"I'm sorry Case…" Olivia started.

"_What happened?" _asked Casey.

Olivia shook her head. "I don't even know." She put her hand out across the table. "You know that's not me. That I don't do that kind of thing."

"I know. When Aaron told me I didn't believe it. I laughed. When I came back her to talk to you, I expected you to be angry that he would tell such a lie." She leaned back in her chair. "Liv, what the hell happened?"

Olivia filled her in on everything that had happened at the party; pretty much everything she had told Elliot.

"I'm sorry Olivia." Casey said, placing he hand over her friends.

"What are you sorry for?" asked Olivia. "I'm the one that should be sorry. I didn't mean to ruin your party for you."

"Liv, you didn't ruin the party. I didn't even know about it. I don't think anyone did until Jack opened his big mouth and told Aaron. Jack can be such an ass. I told him to stay away from you, but he has this ego that won't quit. I will tell Aaron to warn Jack to keep his mouth shut."

"It's a little too late for that." said Olivia, pulling her hand back towards her across the table.

Casey looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"Nothing. Forget it." She regretted saying anything, not wanting to cause any trouble between Casey and Aaron.

"Did Jack tell someone else? Is he harassing you?"

"No, I haven't spoken to him since…well, you know." Olivia said. Olivia looked away.

"You're not a very good liar." said Casey. "You know that I do this for a living, right?"

Olivia still didn't say anything, so Casey decided to change tactics.

"What were you and Elliot fighting about this morning?" Casey asked. Olivia looked back at her and Casey knew she had her.

"He told Elliot?" Casey asked. When Olivia still didn't say anything, Casey said. "Should I go down and ask Elliot what you were fighting about?"

"No!" said Olivia sharply.

"Then tell me what happened. When in the hell did he talk to Elliot?" she asked. "He's been at my parent's with us all weekend."

"Did you see the messenger that came in as you were walking out this morning?"

Casey shook her head. "I really didn't notice."

"Well, Jack sent Elliot an envelope with a message…" Olivia looked down at the table. "And my underwear."

Casey gasped, speechless. She just stared at Olivia for a minute. She couldn't believe it. She had known Jack was arrogant and a jerk sometimes, but what on Earth had he been thinking?

"Liv. I can't…I can't believe that." she said, shaking her head. "Why would he do that?

"I don't know. I honestly don't know."

"Oh Liv. I'm so sorry." She leaned back in her chair again. "I don't know what to do." She leaned back towards Olivia. "What do you want me to do?"

"Don't do anything. Please Casey. It's OK. I'm a big girl and I can take care of myself."

"But I don't want him in the wedding. You're my best friend…he can't treat you like that. I won't let him get away with this."

"Casey. No! I let this happen and I will deal with it. I knew that he was a jerk and I still…did what I did. I take responsibility." Olivia was biting her lip and Casey could tell something else was bothering her.

"Is there something else you're not telling me?" Casey asked her.

Olivia took a deep breath. She didn't want to burden her friend any more, but she wanted to talk to someone. "I was really stupid."

Casey looked puzzled. "What? Did something else happen?"

Olivia looked down at the table. "Casey, it happened so fast…I..he…we didn't use protection."

"Shit." said Casey.

"Yeah, that pretty much sums it up."

"But you're on the pill, right?"

"Kind of." said Olivia.

"What do you mean kind of? You either are or you're not." said Casey, getting frustrated.

"I am, but I don't always remember…"

"Jeez Liv."

"That's not even the part I'm worried about. I have to go get tested."

Casey shook her head. "Probably a good idea. I mean, I don't think there's anything to worry about but it's always good to make sure."

Olivia sighed. "Casey, I will take care of this and you don't worry about it. Everything can go ahead as planned. OK?"

Casey nodded, knowing how stubborn Olivia was. "I'm still going to tell Aaron what he did. I can't keep that from him."

"That's up to you. But I don't need you, or Aaron, to fight my battles. I'm just sorry that you had to get in the middle of this."

Casey sighed. "I can't even imagine how Elliot reacted." She knew the two of them were close; closer than they should be. Olivia had told her there was nothing between them but she knew it was only a matter of time before they had to stop denying it. "It didn't look like he was still angry when you guys came in."

"Yeah, he was upset but we talked and we're OK." But in the back of her mind, she realized that he didn't know the whole story. What if she got some kind of STD from that bastard? Or worse yet, what if she got pregnant? She couldn't even think about it without feeling physically ill. She had to get to a doctor today.

"He loves you, you know." said Casey, pulling Olivia from her thoughts.. She waited for Olivia to deny it as she usually did, but instead, she was surprised by Olivia's reply.

"I know."

EOEOEOEOEOEOEO

Casey and Olivia walked back into the squad room and Casey left shortly after. Olivia looked around but didn't see Elliot.

"Where's Elliot?" asked Olivia.

Fin looked up at her. "He grabbed his coat and said he had to run an errand."

Olivia saw this as an opportunity to make a quick run of her own. "Um. OK. I have to run out for a few minutes. Can you cover for me with Cragen if he's looking for me?"

"Yeah, whatever you need baby girl." said Fin. "I got your back." With all of the chaos going on this morning, he was actually glad that Elliot and Olivia were going to be out of the house for a while.

Olivia smiled and thanked him. She grabbed her coat and headed out the door.

EOEOEOEOEO

Olivia showed up at the M.E.'s office about 20 minutes later.

"Hey Olivia." said Melinda, happy to see her friend. "What can I do for you?"

"Can I talk to you in private?" she asked, and followed Melinda into her office.

EOEOEOEOEOEO

Elliot walked into the office building and was met by a guard. He hadn't been counting on that. He flashed his badge, making sure the guard didn't get a good look at it.

"I'm looking for Jack Spencer." he said. "Can you tell me what floor his office is on?"

The guard plugged his name into the computer. "He's with Jackson Lyman. 5th floor. There's a receptionist up there that can direct you to his office. I can call her and let her know you're on your way up." He offered.

"No, that's fine. I'd rather have the element of surprise."


	8. Chapter 8

_Thanks for the reviews and keep them coming! I love hearing from you!_

Olivia shut the door behind her as Melinda sat down at her desk. Melinda looked at her expectantly; waiting for Olivia to tell her what she wanted to discuss.

Olivia took a deep breath. "I need a favor."

Melinda raised her eyebrows but didn't say anything.

"I need some tests."

"What kind of tests?" asked Melinda.

Olivia looked back down, not wanting to meet Melinda's gaze. "I had unprotected sex a few days ago…so whatever the standard spectrum of tests would be."

Melinda shook her head. "Liv."

"Spare me the speech Melinda. I know."

"Who was it?"

Olivia shook her head. "I'm not going to name names unless you find something."

"You have reason to believe that you might have some exposure?"

"I don't know. I just want to be sure. I don't know him very well and …" Olivia trailed off, not certain what else to say.

"Do you need a pregnancy test? Or the morning after pill?"

Olivia's head jerked up. She hadn't thought of the morning after pill. She knew that could be effective for several days after.

"Do you have access to that?" Olivia asked.

"Yes."

Olivia shook her head. "That would be good."

"Liv. You aren't on birth control either? So that along with every other risk and you still had unprotected sex? What were you thinking?"

Olivia held up her hand. "Melinda. Please."

Melinda paused for a few minutes, trying to understand why Olivia would have done something like that. "Was it Elliot?"

"No! Please. Will you help me out? I don't want this on my record."

Melinda sighed. "Yes. I'll do the tests myself.

"Thank you." Olivia said quietly. "I _really_ appreciate it."

EOEOEOEOEOEO

Elliot got into the elevator and punched the button for the 5th floor. He wasn't sure what he was going to do when he saw him, but he knew he had to do something. He had warned that jackass to stay away from Olivia at the party and he had done just the opposite. He had promised him a beating if he so much as touched her. And now, he had not only touched her, but he had…

Elliot shook his head at the mental images attacking him, enraging him even further. The elevator door opened and Elliot saw a plush reception area with a receptionist seated at a large wood and granite counter.

"Welcome to Jackson Lyman. May I help you sir?" she asked politely.

Elliot flashed his badge again. "I need to speak to Jack Spencer."

The receptionist picked up the phone receiver, prepared to dial. Elliot reached out and put his hand on the phone. "Please don't call him. Just point me in the direction of his office."

She hesitated for a moment, and then pointed down the hall to her right. It's the fourth office on the left.

Elliot nodded at her. "Thanks." He took off down the hall towards Jack's office. When he got to Jack's office, he saw that the door was closed. He could hear voices, so he leaned up against the wall, deciding to wait until his meeting was over.

A few minutes later, Elliot heard the conversation end, and someone opening the door. A man walked through, and then turned around, shaking hands with Jack as Jack followed him to the door.

"Thanks. We'll be talking soon." said Jack. The man walked away and Elliot took a step towards him, surprising Jack. The look of surprise lasted for only a few seconds and then Jack recovered, a smug look returning to his face.

"Elliot." he said, taking a step back. "What are you doing here?" He turned around and started walking back towards his desk.

Elliot followed him, shutting the door behind him. He grabbed Jack by the arm and Jack turned back to face him. "You know damn well why I'm here." Elliot caught Jack with a right hook, sending Jack sliding back across his desk and crashing down on the other side. Elliot strode around the desk, and grabbed Jack's shirt, hauling him up to his feet, but not letting go.

"I told you to leave her the fuck alone."

Jack put his hands up in a defensive gesture as Elliot pulled him up. "Hey, if you weren't going to fuck her…"

Elliot hit Jack with another punch and connected with Jack's nose, hearing a satisfying crunch, as Jack fell back to the floor.

Elliot stood over him. "She was drunk and you took advantage of her. And then on top of that, you humiliated her with your stupid stunt and you're big mouth."

Elliot reached down to grab Jack's shirt again, when he heard someone say "Freeze! Hands up!" Elliot turned around and saw a NYPD uniform with a gun pointed at him.

Elliot put his hands up. "I'm NYPD. Detective Stabler." he said.

"Step away." The uniform said and Elliot took a few steps back, looking down at Jack.

"This isn't over." Elliot said to Jack as he slowly walked towards the officer.

The officer took Elliot's weapon as Elliot held his hands in the air. Jack stood up, holding his nose, blood pouring over his hand. "I want to press charges. This son of a bitch attacked me for no reason."

"Detective Stabler, you're under arrest…" he proceeded to read Eliot his rights, handcuffing him in the process. Elliot didn't fight him, knowing the uniform was only doing his job. He would get this straightened out when he got back to the precinct.

The officer led Elliot out of the office, and Elliot looked back at Jack as he was walked out. "I'll talk to _you_ later." The office pulled him down the hall and out of the building.

As Elliot was put in the backseat of the cruiser, his thoughts turned to Olivia. He hadn't been thinking about her when he went after Jack; he knew she was going to be pissed at him. But she had to know that there was no way he was going to let that prick get away with what he had done to her. He shook his head. What a mess.

EOEOEOEOEO

Olivia took the pills that Melinda had given her.

"Thanks Melinda. I really appreciate it. How long will it take to get the results?"

"Some of the test results will available shortly and others take a few days. I will let you know when I have all of the results. Your pregnancy test is negative, but that doesn't mean you're not pregnant. It's really early."

"I understand." said Olivia. She put a hand on Melinda's arm. "I owe you."

EOEOEOEOEO

Olivia got back to the station. "Anyone miss me?" she asked, looking at Fin and Munch.

"Nah. Captain had a meeting at 1PP and he's not back yet."

"Where's Elliot?" she asked.

Fin shook his head. "Haven't seen him."

Olivia looked at her watch. She had been gone for over an hour. If Elliot was just running an errand, he should have been back by now. That was unlike him.

She pulled out her cellphone and hit #1 on speed dial. Elliot's phone rang 4 times and then went to voicemail.

"El. It's Liv. Give me a call and let me know if everything's OK." She hung up after leaving the message, wondering where the hell he was that would keep him from answering his phone.

Olivia sat down at her desk, and started digging into her paperwork.

About a half hour later, her cell phone rang. She saw it was Casey and answered it. "Benson."

"Jesus Liv. We have a problem." Olivia was startled by the tone in the normally unflappable ADA.

"What? What's wrong?" asked Olivia.

"It's Elliot." she said. Olivia gasped, thinking the worst.

"What? What happened to Elliot? Is he hurt?"

"No. He's not hurt…but" Casey hesitated, not wanting to tell Olivia where he was.

"Casey! Tell me!" Olivia was starting to get really worried.

"Elliot's been arrested."

"What?" Olivia yelled.

"Liv. It's bad. He went after Jack. He broke his nose."

Olivia groaned and sunk down in her chair. "Damn it! God damn it!"

"Jack wants to press charges. I'm trying to get a hold of Aaron. We'll get him to change his mind. But for now, he's down at the 1st precinct, getting processed."

"Shit. Does the Captain know yet?"

"I don't think so. I haven't been able to reach him."

Olivia ran her hand through her hair. "What the hell should I do?"

"Just sit tight. I'm going to try to figure out where he is, and get Aaron to talk to Jack. I'll call you back as soon as I know something."

"I can't just sit here." said Olivia, letting out a frustrated sigh.

"Liv, I just don't know what you can do at this point. Just hold tight." Casey disconnected the call.

"Damn it." Olivia said, tossing her phone on her desk.

"What's going on?" asked Fin. Olivia turned to see Fin and Munch looking at her.

"Nothing." she said.

"Doesn't sound like nothing." said Munch.

"Just…not right now. OK?" Olivia stood up. She couldn't just sit here. She grabbed the keys to the sedan and walked out of the precinct. She had to go down to the 1st precinct to see what she could do to get Elliot released.

EOEOEOEOEOEO

The seriousness of the situation was starting to sink in as Elliot was led into the precinct house.

"Hey, how about a little consideration for a fellow officer?" he asked. "Let me tell you what happened. Let me call my Captain."

"Sir, you're being arrested for assault. You can make your phone call after you've been processed."

Elliot sighed, knowing it was going to help his case to fight with the arresting officers. They ran him through the process and then put him in an interrogation room. "Just hold tight. We're trying to reach your Captain."

Elliot sighed. He didn't know who he was more afraid of...the Captain or Olivia. Neither one of them was going to be very happy with him.

_Please review! Thanks!_


	9. Chapter 9

_Thanks for all of your comments and reviews. I appreciate them all._

EOEOEOEOEOEO

Olivia arrived at the 1st precinct and flashed her badge at the desk sergeant, an older woman that looked like she had been on the job too long. "Olivia Benson. I'm looking for Elliot Stabler. He was brought in sometime in the past hour or so."

The desk sergeant looked up at her, looking indifferent. "And you are?" she asked.

Olivia let out a frustrated sigh. She pulled out her badge again. "Detective Olivia Benson. From the 1-6. SVU."

The sergeant raised an eyebrow at her. "We haven't had any rape victims come in."

Olivia was getting beyond frustrated. But she knew that getting angry wasn't going to help the situation. This woman had the keys to the kingdom. She could either direct Olivia somewhere in this massive building or make her wait on a bench with the civilians.

"I'm here about Elliot Stabler. He's my partner. I think he was brought to this station."

"Hmm." The sergeant turned to her computer and typed something into it; Olivia assumed it was Elliot's name. "He's here. He's been arrested for assault."

Olivia groaned to herself. She knew that of course, but hearing the sergeant say it made it real.

"Where is he? Can I talk to the arresting officer? Can I see him?"

She looked back at her screen. "No. He's in interrogation and it says he's being held pending notification of his captain."

Olivia smiled at the sergeant. "I'm his partner. Can I please just talk to the arresting office?"

The woman paused a moment, considering her. She picked up the phone and punched in a couple of numbers. The woman turned her back to Olivia and Olivia could hear her talking into the phone. The conversation didn't last more than a minute and the sergeant was hanging up the phone. She looked up at Olivia.

"Have a seat. He'll be down in a minute."

"Thank you." Olivia said. She turned around and considered the benches. They were filled with people, most of them looking nervous or scared or homeless. She found an empty spot next to the bench and leaned against it.

She had been waiting about 15 minutes when she saw a very young looking officer walk into the waiting area and look at the desk sergeant with a questioning look. The sergeant pointed at her.

He approached her. "Officer Kendall. Can I help you?" he asked, offering his hand.

Olivia shook his hand. "Detective Olivia Benson." she said. "I believe you have my partner upstairs. Elliot Stabler. Detective Stabler." She made a point of noting he was a Detective.

Kendall shook his head. "Yes, we have him. He's in one of our interrogation rooms. We haven't been able to reach your captain. My captain doesn't want to do anything until we can reach him."

Olivia let out a sigh of relief. Maybe they could still fix this.

"Can I see him?"

"Cap'n says no." Kendall said, looking away from her momentarily, as if he was considering something. Then he turned his eyes back to her. "I've heard about you two." he said.

Olivia got a confused look on her face. "What?" She didn't know what he meant.

"At the academy and around. Great close rate. We studied some of your cases at the academy."

Olivia was stunned. "What?" Her mind couldn't process what he was saying.

"You know. At the academy. And just around. You've been partners for a long time and lots of people know you two. Your partner has a temper and you're…" he looked away again.

"I'm what?"

Kendall's cheeks got a pink tinge. "Nothing."

Olivia let out a heavy sigh. She didn't have time for this. She wasn't sure what he was alluding to but at this point she really didn't care.

"I need to see my partner." she said again.

He looked over at the desk sergeant and then back at her.

"I'm really sorry, but my Cap'n would have me on desk duty for months if I let that happen."

"What does he think I'm going to do? Bust him out of here?" Olivia said in an exasperated tone. "Can I talk to your Captain?"

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she saw Captain Cragen burst into the foyer of the station and head towards the desk sergeant. The sergeant straightened up and pointed him in the direction Officer Kendall had emerged from.

"Captain" Olivia yelled out, and Cragen stopped and turned around, looking at her. She walked up to him, Officer Kendall following her.

"What the hell is going on Olivia? Has Elliot lost his mind? Does this have anything to do with all of the yelling going on this morning?" He held up his hands. "Never mind. I want to hear this from the both of you. Come with me."

They marched to the elevator and Office Kendall took them up to the fourth floor. He led them to his Captain's office and knocked on the door.

"Cap'n Sturgis? Captain Cragen's here from the 1-6. Here about Stabler." Kendall said, pushing the door to the office open and ushering them in.

Captain Cragen introduced Olivia and he sat down, motioning for Olivia to sit down next to him. Officer Kendall shut the door and leaned up against it.

"Jim." Said Cragen. "What do we have here?"

Sturgis shook his head. "We have a problem. He assaulted a man. Broke his nose. Would've done worse if we hadn't gotten there so quickly."

"Jim. He's a decorated officer. Can't we do something here?"

Sturgis shook his head. "I'd like to make it go away, but the complainant wants to press charges."

Olivia spoke up. "We're trying to get him to drop his complaint."

Cragen looked over at Olivia. "I assume you know this man?"

Olivia nodded. "He's a friend of Casey's."

Cragen sighed, knowing there was more to the story.

Sturgis spoke up. "Well, of course, if the complainant drops the charges, there's no issue. But we arrested him now and there are still charges…so he will have to go through arraignment. I'm sure we can get him ROR."

"Can't we avoid arraignment?" asked Olivia, knowing that they couldn't unless the charges got dropped now.

Sturgis looked at her. "Detective." He gave her look like she should know better.

"Can we talk to him?" asked Cragen.

"Of course." He looked at Kendall. "Show them to the interrogation room."

"Thanks Jim." said Cragen. "We'll be in touch."

The both got up and followed Kendall out of the Captain's office. Olivia could feel the tension radiating from the Captain. She knew they were in trouble and couldn't imagine how much desk time they were going to get…if they were lucky. When he heard the story, this may very well be the end of their partnership.

They stopped outside the interrogation room and Olivia and Cragen could see Elliot sitting inside. He was holding his head in his hands and Olivia could see dried blood on his knuckles. Her emotions were all over the place. She was so damn angry at him for acting like a Neanderthal and going after Jack, trying to protect what he perceived as his…but she was also upset to see him in this situation. He was her partner; her best friend. And she loved him. She was scared for him, and for them.

Cragen sighed heavily and turned to Kendall.

"Can you leave us alone for a minute?" he asked Kendall. "I need to speak to Detective Benson. We won't go in until we call you back."

Kendall nodded and left them alone.

Cragen looked at Elliot in the room, and then turned to Olivia. He let out another loud sigh. Before he could speak, Olivia spoke up.

"Can I talk to Elliot alone for a minute?" she asked, knowing Cragen wouldn't go for it. But she really wanted to talk to Elliot and figure out what they were going to tell the Captain…and about what happened with Jack.

"That's not going to happen. I want the truth about what the hell's going on and I'm not going to give you two time to make up a story." He paused. "So the only question is, do you want to tell me what's going on, or do you want Elliot to tell me?"

Olivia looked at the Captain and then at Elliot. She honestly didn't know what to say. She thought it might be better if they were at least in the same room. She needed to see his eyes. Once she saw his eyes, she knew they could read each other and figure out a way out of this mess.

"I think we should go in and we can both tell you."

Cragen shook his head. He wasn't sure if having them in the same room was a good idea. He wasn't sure if he would get the truth. He was so upset at this entire situation. He knew this day was coming. The day when something would happen that would make it impossible for them to be partners anymore. He knew they were too close and that it was only a matter of time, but he still wasn't prepared for it. He wasn't sure what was going on, but it felt like the straw that would finally break the camel's back. He was upset with them, but he was more upset with himself for letting this…whatever this was…go on too long. Maybe they wouldn't be here right now if he had handled things differently.

Olivia touched the Captain's shoulder. "Cap'n?" she said softly.

"I don't think that's a good idea. I'm going to go in first and then maybe…and I mean maybe…I will let you in to see him." He said, with anger in his voice. He could see the look of distress on her face. Even though he was her commanding officer, Olivia was like a daughter to him and he didn't like seeing her so upset.

"Liv. Give me a few minutes with him." he said, his tone softening. "Then I'll let you talk to him. OK?"

Olivia nodded, knowing she didn't really have an option, but happy that the Captain had softened a little. Maybe he wouldn't be so hard on Elliot.

"Officer Kendall." The Captain called and Kendall appeared from around the corner.

"I'm ready to talk to him now."

Office Kendall unlocked the door and let the Captain in.

Elliot looked up as the Captain walked in. Judging by the look on his face, this shit was about to hit the fan.

_I hope you're still enjoying the story. Please read and review._


	10. Chapter 10

Thanks for all of the comments and reviews. Let's see what happens next.

EOEOEOEOEOEO

Elliot stood up as the Captain walked in and looked at the door, expecting to see Olivia trailing behind him. He was somewhat disappointed when the Captain shut the door behind him. There was a part of him that really needed to see her, so maybe he could glean what she might have already told him. But part of him was relieved; he didn't know if he could handle her anger along with the Captain's.

"Cap'n." he said cautiously, wanting to test his mood.

Cragen strode across the room and stood in front of the table with his arms crossed. "Sit down."

Elliot sat down. "Cap'n, I can explain…"

"Shut up." said Cragen.

Elliot stopped talking and looked up at Cragen. He could tell the older man was trying to decide what to say next. He waited, thinking about what he was going to tell him. He didn't want to tell him everything that had happened, but he had no idea what Olivia, or anyone else, might have already told him. And he didn't want to get caught in a lie.

"You are in a pile of shit." Cragen finally said, shaking his head.

"Cap'n…" said Elliot.

"I said shut up." Cragen was angry. One of his best detectives was sitting here in front of him and could lose everything…over something he was certain would boil down to a case of Elliot going off half-cocked. Acting on emotion and rage instead of common sense.

Cragen paced back and forth a few times, trying to calm himself. He stopped back in front of Elliot.

"If I ask you what happened, are you going to tell me the truth?" he asked.

Elliot looked back at him. "Have you talked to Olivia?"

"Damnit Elliot. I'm asking _you_." He punctuated his remark by point a finger at Elliot. "You're the one locked up here. So quit playing games. This is serious. I need you to tell me what happened so I can try to fix this. I can't have you two fabricating a story to cover for one another. I have let the two of you get away with that way too much because…well, for many reasons. But this time you went too far. You could go to jail, lose your job, your pension. Everything. So think very carefully before you open your mouth, because it needs to be the truth.

EOEOEOEOEO

Olivia held her breath as she listened to the Captain. She could hear what they were saying through the speaker. She knew how serious this was, and she knew that Elliot was going to have to tell the Captain what happened.

She ran her hand through her hair, exasperated that she couldn't talk to Elliot. She wanted to tell him to go ahead and tell the Captain. Hell, everyone else in the squad room had heard; she was already humiliated. She knew he would try to glaze over the facts to try to spare her and that wasn't going to help him.

"You OK?" Olivia jumped when she heard the voice next to her. She had been so engrossed in watching the scene play out in front of her that she had forgotten about Officer Kendall. Damn. She wanted to hear what Elliot told the Captain but she didn't need for Kendall to hear all of the embarrassing details.

"Umm. What Detective Stabler is going to tell the Captain is a little private. Is there any way that you could wait outside?" she asked.

Kendall considered her for a moment, and then nodded. "Sure." He turned around and walked out of the small anteroom. "I'll be right out here." He said before he was out of the room.

Olivia sighed, happy that he had agreed. She turned her attention back to the interrogation room, and saw that Cragen had taken a seat across from Elliot.

EOEOEOEOEO

Elliot's mind was racing, trying to sort through everything that happened. He looked up at the window, wondering if Olivia was out there watching. He decided to take another shot.

"Is Olivia here?"

Cragen sighed. "Worry about your own ass here Elliot."

With that comment, Elliot knew that Olivia was there. She was probably watching them right now. He wanted to see her.

"Cap'n. This involves her, so she should…"

"No shit. I know it involves her. It always involves her." Cragen shook his head. "Let me be clear Detective. I am losing my patience." He paused. "Correction. I am way past losing my patience. You're the one being arrested. I want to hear this from you."

Elliot scrubbed his hands over his face. He took a deep breath. He stood up and started pacing.

"OK. We went to Casey's engagement party. Liv's the maid of honor, you know. So when we got there, Casey introduced us to Jack Spencer. He's the best man." He stopped pacing and put his arms out on the table, leaning over towards the Captain. "Guy's a real ass. He was hassling Olivia all night at the party."

"And by hassling you mean…?"

"You know. Looking at her and talking to her and stuff." He shook his head, knowing how lame that sounded. "I know how that sounds but the guy was saying things that were…" he struggled to find the right words. "Inappropriate."

"Inappropriate." The Captain mimicked him.

"You weren't there. He was just…rude. I know it sounds stupid but the guy had a real hard-on when it came to Olivia and me." Elliot looked down at the table.

"Elliot, I was there. And I spent a large part of the evening with Olivia. I didn't see anyone bothering her."

"Well, I talked to him at the bar and he was talking about her and…the guy was a grade A prick." Elliot sat down hard in the chair. "He was insulting."

"And did Olivia think he was insulting? Or was it just that you didn't like the attention he was paying her?"

Elliot's head snapped up. He couldn't believe the Captain was calling him out on that. He didn't say anything.

"She was drunk Captain. He took advantage of her. He…" Elliot couldn't even complete the sentence.

Cragen was trying to read between the lines. There was something Elliot wasn't telling him but he knew it had to be serious for Elliot to be so upset.

"Elliot. Are you telling me that Olivia was sexually assaulted by this guy?" Cragen stood up, now visibly upset himself.

Elliot didn't say anything.

"Elliot, tell me what the hell is going on. If Olivia was assaulted then we can arrest him. Why would you go off half-cocked and attack him? I know that you want to defend Liv, but now he'll get off…"

"Cap'n." Elliot interrupted. "That's not what happened."

Cragen sat down. He considered what Elliot said and could see the look of distress on Elliot's face.

"So…you're saying it was consensual."

Elliot nodded, as much as it pained him to admit it.

Cragen sighed heavily. "OK, now you need to tell me what the hell is really going on. Because I still don't understand what drove you to go after this guy. There have been other guys…Olivia dates. Unless the two of you…?"

"No." said Elliot quietly. "No."

"Then tell me."

"This guy was pushing me all night at the party. Making rude comments about Olivia. Asking why I wasn't sleeping with her…stuff like that. And he was goading Olivia too. He pushed her…she was drunk and she made a bad choice. She regretted it. She didn't tell me about it, but on Monday, I got an envelope at the precinct."

Cragen thought back to Monday morning at the precinct, and the yelling and chaos in the squad room. "The underwear I saw on your desk?"

Elliot nodded. "Not only did he take advantage of her at the party, but he humiliated her. And the thing is that I don't really think he gives two shits about her, or if this was just a game to him." Elliot paused. "Like he wanted to prove to me that he could sleep with her when I…" Again, he couldn't finish his sentence.

Cragen nodded. "And?"

"I was upset. I was angry that she…she…" he shook his head, mental images popping back into his head. "I was mad because there's no law against being an asshole and this guy had crossed the line."

"So you went to see him?"

"I knew I shouldn't but I couldn't stop myself. I wasn't even sure what I was going to do. I was pretty calm by the time I got to his office…but as soon as I saw him, I just lost it." Elliot shook his head.

Cragen sighed. He knew that Elliot wasn't completely rational when it came to Olivia, and it didn't surprise him that he had acted out to protect her.

"Tell me what happened when you got there." Cragen said.

Elliot relayed the sequence of events from the time he got to the building until the NYPC cop entered the office.

"Hold it." said Cragen. "Are you telling me that you punched the guy twice and NYPD was already there?"

Elliot nodded.

"How long had you been there?"

Elliot thought about it a minute. "Well, I flashed my badge at the guard downstairs. A couple of minutes up to the offices and talking to the receptionist. Then I waited about 5 minutes because he has someone in his office. So less than ten minutes?"

"But up until you punched him the first time, there wasn't any trouble? No reason for anyone to think anything was going to happen?"

Elliot shook his head. "No. I didn't say why I was there. I figured they would think I was there to talk to him about something."

"So it would have been less than 2 minutes for the NYPD to show up after you punched him the first time?"

Elliot nodded. "I guess that would be about right."

"That doesn't make any sense. How would they get there so fast unless they were already there?"

"I don't know." said Elliot.

"Well, that's definitely something we need to figure out. If they hadn't been there, you probably wouldn't have been arrested."

"I don't about know that." Elliot said softly.

"Why?"

"Because I don't know if I would have stopped." Said Elliot, dropping his head back into his hands.

EOEOEOEOEO

Olivia teared up on the other side of the glass after hearing what Elliot said. It was her fault that he was in this mess. She had slept with Jack, knowing how Elliot would feel about it. She had just assumed he would never find out. Or had she? There was a part of her that wanted Elliot to know. She wanted to make him jealous; try to force him to tell her how he felt. And it had worked. But at what cost? What had she done?

Her phone vibrated in her pocket and she pulled it out. She saw she had a text message from Casey. "Talking to Jack now. Be in touch soon."

She quickly texted back. "Where r u?""

"In my office. Call you soon." Casey texted back.

Olivia looked up at Elliot and Cragen through the window. She really wanted to talk to Elliot, but she also wanted to confront Jack. She had to convince him to drop the charges. She made a quick decision, and rushed out, passing Kendall as she walked into the squad room.

"Hey!" said Kendall. "Where are you going?"

"Tell my Captain that something came up and that I will be in touch." She said, not stopping as she walked out and headed out to catch a cab to Casey's office.


	11. Chapter 11

Thanks for all of the comments and reviews. Please keep them coming!

EOEOEOEOEOEO

Olivia reached Casey's office and knocked on the door. She didn't wait for Casey to answer before walking in. She saw Casey, Aaron and Jack seated around the table talking. The all stopped talking and looked at her as she walked in and shut the door behind her. Jack's nose was taped and he had one black eye. He was leaning back in his chair, and when he saw her, he smiled. She wanted to wipe that stupid grin off his face..

"Liv." Said Casey, surprised to see her friend. "What are you doing here? I told you I would call you."

"I need to talk to Jack." she said, making eye contact with him and holding it.

"I don't think that's a good idea. We've just started talking." Casey said.

Olivia looked over at Casey briefly and then her eyes darted back to Jack.

"It's OK Casey." said Jack. "I'll talk to her."

"Alone." Said Olivia. Casey and Aaron looked at each other and Casey stood up. She walked over to Olivia, and grabbed her by the elbow.

"Liv. I don't think that's a good idea." whispered Casey.

Olivia looked at her friend. "I'm not going to hurt him." she said. Casey startled, because she hadn't even been thinking about that. But now that Olivia brought it up, it made her think about it again. She knew how close Elliot and Olivia were; what they would do to protect each other. But this was Liv…she wouldn't do anything crazy. However, she still felt uneasy about it.

She sighed. "OK, just a few minutes. Aaron and I will be right outside." Aaron stood up and they walked out of the office, closing the door behind them.

Olivia sat down in the chair across from Jack. She tilted her head, considering what she was going to say. She didn't really have a plan; she had rushed over here on impulse. This was a game to him and she had to figure out how to play it so he would drop the charges against Elliot. She hoped there was a shred of decency in this guy since he was friends with Casey and Aaron.

"Jack." she started, looking down at the table. "I don't have any excuse for how I acted at the party. I told you this before, but I don't do things like that. I don't 'hook up' with guys I don't know, and I certainly don't have unprotected sex." She looked up at him then. "So far, I'm not pregnant." she said, trying to shake him. It seemed to work, as he startled slightly before recovering.

"Pregnant?"

"Yeah. I took an initial test and it was negative but it may have been too early."

Jack started to open his mouth to say something, but shut it again. Apparently she _had_ shaken him a little. She waited a few seconds but he didn't say anything else.

"You might want to be more careful if this is your normal mode of operation…or you'll have a bunch of kids running around." she continued. "Anyway." She took a deep breath.

"I'm not blaming you for anything that happened. I'm a grown up and can make my own decisions. And I take responsibility for letting you bully me into making a decision I wouldn't normally make." She shifted in her seat and looked back down at the table.

She looked back up at Jack. He had a neutral expression on his face.

"Elliot's been my partner for a long time. He's a good man. When you see the things we do every day, you get close. We have had each other's back for so long that we get really protective of each other. So, people misinterpret our relationship. But we're partners and friends…nothing more."

Jack laughed. "That's what you tell yourself."

Olivia shook her head. She thought back to the conversation on the roof this morning. But she couldn't let anyone know about that.

"No. There is nothing more. Elliot reacted because he felt like you insulted me. It's just his normal, overprotective self. And when got that envelope; it wasn't about the contents. He was upset because he felt like you humiliated me." Olivia paused again. "And you did." She said, sounding hurt. "Why did you do that?"

Jack looked at Olivia and the smile dropped from his face for the first time since she had sat down. He shook his head. He shrugged. "I don't know."

"You don't know? Are you fucking kidding me? Do you think this is some kind of game?" Olivia was getting upset. She stood up and paced back and forth.

"I'm worried I might be pregnant. That I might have some STD, or worse yet, HIV. My partner has been arrested…" her voice was escalating. "He could lose his job! His pension! And you DON'T KNOW?" she pounded her fist on the table. "Do I have to repeat myself? THIS IS NOT A FUCKING GAME!"

Casey opened the door and poked her head in. "Everything OK?"

Olivia stood up and let out a deep breath. "Yes." Casey looked at Jack and shut the door.

Olivia jabbed a finger at Jack. "You owe me." she said, speaking quietly now. "So let me tell you what's going to happen. You're going to drop the charges against Elliot and then you and I are going to smile, and get along for the sake of Casey and Aaron until this wedding is over. You won't talk to me any more than necessary and you won't talk to Elliot at all. We're not friends." She looked at Jack but he wasn't responding; he was just listening. "Do we have a deal?"

Jack looked down at the table; he seemed to be considering what she said. Olivia sat back down and waited for him. She fully expected him to laugh and refuse to drop the charges. And then she didn't know what she was going to do. She knew that she would _like_ to punch him herself, but that wasn't going to her anywhere.

Jack cleared his throat and she turned her attention back to him.

"Olivia." he said. "I'm sorry."

Olivia couldn't have been more shocked.

"Sometimes I don't think. You're a beautiful woman and I wanted you. And when I saw how your partner was acting, I figured you two were together. When Casey told me you weren't, I just…" he paused. "I took it as a challenge. Your partner was acting like a prick and I played you against each other so I could get what I wanted."

"The rest of it was stupid. He threatened me and told me to leave you alone, and so I just had to rub it in his face. I knew it would make him angry. In fact, I told the guard at the front desk that he might show up and that there might be trouble."

A piece of the puzzle fell into place. Now Olivia knew why NYPD showed up so quickly.

"Are you going to drop the charges or not?" Olivia asked.

"He's got anger issues." Jack said.

Olivia didn't say anything. She continued to look at him.

"You know that he wants you, right? He got so mad because we screwed and he wants to be the one banging you."

Olivia shook her head, refusing to get drawn into this conversation and mildly appalled again by his directness and choice of words.

"Jack…" she said with a warning tone.

"I'll drop the charges. But it's not for him. I'm doing it for Casey and Aaron. I don't want this to ruin anything for them."

Olivia let out a breath that she didn't even know she was holding. "Thank you." She stood up and Jack stood up too. He reached out to put his hands on her shoulders and she stepped back. "What do you think you're doing?" she asked, furrowing her brows.

"Nothing." He took a step back. "So do you think we could have dinner or something sometime?"

"You're joking, right?"

Jack smiled. "Just thought I would ask. I mean, we do have to do some planning for the wedding."

"I told you before. We're not friends. I don't want to see you or talk to you any more than I have to." She turned around and started walking towards the door.

"Olivia." Jack said. Olivia stopped and turned around. "I'm really not that bad of a guy."

"Aha." said Olivia, just wanting to get the hell out of there.

"Will you let me know if…" Jack stopped. "I mean, I hope you're not, but if you are pregnant, will you let me know?" he asked.

Olivia swallowed hard. "I don't know." she said, walking out the door.

EOEOEOEOEO

The Captain stood up when he was done talking to Elliot. "I'm going to go see if there's been any update. I know Casey was trying to get Mr. Spencer to drop the charges."

"Can I talk to Olivia now?" Elliot asked. Even though he knew Olivia was probably still really angry with him, he still wanted to see her. He hoped she wasn't upset that he had told Cragen everything that had happened.

"Yes, I'll let her in." Cragen walked over to the door and knocked. Kendall opened the door and Cragen stepped out. "Olivia, you can go in now." He said as he walked out. He looked around.

"Where's Detective Benson?" he asked Kendall.

"She said that something came up and that she'd be in touch." He said.

Cragen grabbed his phone to see if he had missed any calls. He didn't think she had been called away on a case.

Cragen ducked his head back into the interrogation room and Elliot stood up, expecting it to be Olivia. When he saw the captain, he got a confused look on his face.

"Where's Liv?"

"I don't know. The officer here said she left."

"She left?" Elliot couldn't believe she had left. He sat back down. "Where did she go?"

"I don't know. Hold tight. I'm going to get an update on the charges and then I'll see where she is."

Elliot scrubbed his hands up and down his face. Suddenly, he was exhausted. He couldn't believe what a mess he had caused. He thought back over the past couple of days and everything that had happened; and everything that was still yet to come. And yet, he didn't know if he could bring himself to regret it. He had finally told Olivia how he felt, and she had told him that she loved him too. He smiled.

"I love Olivia Benson." he whispered out loud. "I love Olivia Benson." he said a little bit louder. It felt almost sinful on his lips, but it felt exhilarating to say it out loud. He got up and started pacing in the small room. He had to get out of here. He had to get this whole mess straightened out and he had to see her.

Thanks for your reviews.


	12. Chapter 12

_**Thanks for the reviews. I like to hear your thoughts, so keep them coming.**_

Olivia shut the door behind her and spotted Casey and Aaron standing off to the side. As soon as they saw her, they rushed over.

"So?" said Casey. "What happened?"

Olivia sighed. "He said he's going to drop the charges." She brought her hands up and rubbed her temples. It had been a long, stressful day and she was getting a headache.

Now it was Casey's turn to sigh. "Thank God. What a mess." She put a hand on Olivia's shoulder. "What did you say to him to get him to drop the charges, because before you came in, he said he wasn't going to."

"I appealed to his sense of decency." she said with a small smirk on her face.

"See Casey? I told you Jack could be a decent guy." he said.

Casey rolled her eyes. "Right." She looked back at Olivia. "What did you promise him?" The Jack she knew didn't do anything unless there was something in it for him.

Olivia sighed. "I didn't promise him anything Casey. But I think I did scare him a little. I told him that I didn't think I was pregnant, but I didn't know for sure. I'm guessing right now he's a little worried about that. And hoping that by doing a good deed now, he can get out of any daddy duty if I do turn up pregnant."

Aaron had a shocked look on his face, and it was clear that Casey hadn't filled him in on everything.

"Aaron, don't worry. I'm 99% sure I'm not pregnant, but he doesn't have to know that." said Olivia, placing a hand on his arm.

"Good to hear." he said. He took a step towards her. "Olivia, I am really sorry about everything that happened. I really am. Casey and I were talking, and if you aren't comfortable with him in the wedding, then I will replace him with someone else."

Olivia looked at her friends. "Guys, I really appreciate that. But I had a large part in everything that happened. It wasn't all Jack. If I hadn't made such a bad error in judgment, none of the rest of this would have happened. Jack is your friend...although I don't know why…" she joked, smiling at the two of them. "It will be fine. We're all adults."

"Liv…" started Casey. "We are clearly NOT all adults." She motioned towards her office.

Olivia held up her hand. "Casey, I said it will be fine. Now I have to get going but if you could follow up and make sure they get the word that Jack is going to drop the charges, that would be great. Hopefully we can make that happen before arraignment." Olivia walked away, opening up her phone as she walked towards the exit.

"Cap'n" she said when Cragen answered. "I talked to Jack and he's going to drop the charges. Casey is going to follow up with the Captain at the 1st and get everything straightened out." She wanted to ask him about his conversation with Elliot, but she didn't really get into the details of what Elliot might have told him. It was all so embarrassing. So she left it alone and hung up when they were done talking. She got to her car and climbed inside, resting her head against the headrest. She looked at her watch and saw it was almost 5:00. She was so damn tired. Would this day ever end? She took a deep breath and decided she had had enough for one day. She started the car and headed for home.

EOEOEOEOEO

Elliot got the good news that the charges had been dropped, and was told that he just had to wait a short time for all of the paperwork to get signed off. He was anxious to get out of there, and he wondered where Olivia was. He knew she had probably been involved in getting Jack to drop the charges, and while he wasn't happy about Olivia seeing that jackass again, he was thankful for anything she had done. He probably owed Casey and Aaron a thank you as well.

Officer Kendall came in about 30 minutes later, and handed Elliot his badge, gun and cell phone, along with his other personal items. 

"Glad this all worked out." he said. "I hate to see a fellow officer in the can."

"Thanks." said Elliot, walking out of the interrogation room. He opened up his phone and saw he had a couple of text messages from the kids, but nothing from Olivia. He opened his messaging and drafted a message.

"Hey. Where r u?" he hit send. He continued walking out of the precinct, and then realized he had no car. He muttered to himself, knowing he would have to call and have someone pick him up, or pay for a taxi. He opted for the latter, not wanting to wait any longer. He hopped in the backseat of the nearest taxi, and gave him the address of the 16th precinct. He assumed Olivia and everyone else would be there. While he rode, he waited for a response from Olivia. After about 5 minutes, he still hadn't received a response. He thought that was strange as Olivia _ALWAYS_ answered her phone; it was practically surgically attached to her body. He debated about sending another text, and decided not to. He would be at the 1-6 in less than ten minutes.

EOEOEOEO

Olivia unlocked the door to her apartment and dropped all of her stuff on the kitchen counter. She took her gun and badge and put them away in her bedroom, and then stripped down. She needed a hot shower to melt away the stress of the day. She adjusted the temperature of the shower and let the hot spray run over her body. She leaned against the wall of the shower with her arms outstretched, feeling her body relax. When the water started to cool off, she reluctantly turned the water off and got out. She toweled off her body, and wrapped her wet hair in another towel. She donned some clean underwear and a bra, and pulled on some black yoga pants and a well worn, V-neck, NYPD t-shirt. It was Elliot's shirt that she had borrowed at one time and never bothered to return.

She sat down on the bed and pulled the towel from her hair. She dried it as well as she could, and dropped the towel on the floor. She smoothed lotion on her legs and arms, finally feeling relaxed after such a crazy day. She could barely keep her eyes open, and thought she might as well just lay down for a quick nap before she made dinner. She pulled the comforter over her legs, and was asleep in seconds.

EOEOEOEOEO

Elliot arrived at the 1-6 and took the elevator upstairs. When he got there, only Munch was sitting at his desk. Munch opened his mouth to make some smart remark, but Elliot glared at him, effectively silencing him. 

"Where's Liv?" he asked, motioning towards her desk.

"Haven't seen her since this morning." He said, not looking up from his computer screen.

"Cap'n in?"

"Nope."

Elliot scrubbed his hands over his face. He walked over and sat down in his chair, pulling out his phone. He still didn't have a return message from Olivia. He opened up his text messaging again, and sent her another message.

"I'm at the house. Wanted to talk. Where r u?" he hit send and sat back, not sure what to do next. His mind started to wander, and he thought about their conversation this morning. Olivia was right…he could be an asshole. He was wondering if she was mad that he had gone after Jack. That whole event seemed like so long ago; he had forgotten that she was probably going to be pissed about that. Maybe that's why she wasn't answering his messages. He let out an exasperated sigh. He had finally told the woman of his dreams that he loved her, and then he had gone and done something that he knew was going to make her angry. But he hadn't been able to stop himself, and thinking back to it now, he doesn't know if he would have done it any differently. He was never going to let anyone hurt her and get away with it.

EOEOEOEOEO

Olivia awoke to someone knocking on her door. She looked around, confused about the time of day. She looked at the clock on her nightstand and saw it was 7. She sat up, thinking it was morning and that she overslept. Was that Elliot here to pick her up? Then everything tilted back into place and she realized it was evening. Still the same damn day.

There was the knock again, and now that someone was jiggling the handle, testing to see if the door was unlocked. She hopped out of bed and walked towards the door. "Coming." She yelled out. When she got to the door, she looked through the peephole and saw it was Elliot. He was balancing a pizza box in one hand and holding a six pack of beer in the other. She took a deep breath. She hadn't thought about what she was going to say when she saw him; on one hand she wanted to explore what they had started this morning, but on the other hand, she was mad as hell for the stunt he pulled. Now it was too late to think about it. Damn.

She opened the door, one hand on her hip. She decided to go with anger, because if there was one thing she and Elliot was good at, it was fighting. "Happy with yourself?" she said in a cool tone.

Elliot sighed. She wasn't going to make this easy on him. "I brought a peace offering." he said, holding out the pizza box towards her.

Olivia didn't react at first. She wanted to be angry with him, but it was so hard when she thought back to the kiss this morning. She wanted more of that, and was tired of being mad.

She sighed and took the pizza box from him. "OK Stabler, you can come in. But ONLY because I'm really hungry and this pizza smells really good." She walked into the kitchen and Elliot followed her in, closing the door behind him.

"Thanks Liv." he said, and he really meant it. He didn't know what he was going to do if she had shut the door on him tonight.

Olivia put the pizza on the counter and reached up to get up to get some plates out of the cupboard. As she set the plates down on the counter, she could feel Elliot behind her, invading her personal space. He placed his hands on either side of her, effectively trapping her body against the counter with his. He moved in close so their bodies were almost touching and he nuzzled his face in her hair. She could feel his hot breath on the back of her neck, and it made her heart speed up.

"Liv." He whispered. "I am so sorry. Can you forgive me?"

Olivia was rattled. Had Elliot really just apologized to her again? That was _twice_ in one day.

"Who are you and what have you done with my partner?" she joked, gently pushing back against his body. She was nervous and was trying hard not to show it. This was all new territory for them, and she didn't know how to handle this…this situation they were in. She was used to their old relationship, where the rules were firmly established, but those rules had been obliterated.

Elliot ignored her, inhaling her scent. "God, you smell fantastic." He didn't know if it was her shampoo, or soap or lotion, but it was always a scent that was uniquely her. In the past, he would get a whiff of it every now and then, but being able to be this close to her, he got the full effect.

Olivia laughed and Elliot nuzzled deeper into her neck. He pulled her hair back, and kissed her on the neck. Olivia felt a tingle down to her toes as Elliot continued to place small, open mouth kisses on her neck. He trailed his hands up her arms, and she leaned back into him, enjoying the feeling of his body behind her. Elliot wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer, resting his cheek against hers.

"Olivia Benson. I love you so much. I feel like the luckiest man alive."


	13. Chapter 13

I am glad to hear you are enjoying the story. I hope you like this chapter and please keep the reviews coming.

_Olivia laughed and Elliot nuzzled deeper into her neck. He pulled her hair back, and kissed her on the neck. Olivia felt a tingle down to her toes as Elliot continued to place small, open mouthed kisses on her neck. He trailed his hands up her arms, and she leaned back into him, enjoying the feeling of his body behind her. Elliot wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer, resting his cheek against hers._

"_Olivia Benson. I love you so much. I feel like the luckiest man alive."_

EOEOEOEO

Olivia smiled and let out a contented sigh. She couldn't believe that Elliot's arms were wrapped around her; this didn't seem real.

"I love you too." she whispered softly, turning her head and placing a gentle kiss on his cheek.

Elliot loosened his hold on her and turned her around so she was facing him. He moved his arms up so that both hands were resting on her shoulders. He gently rubbed his thumbs back and forth across her collarbone, sliding underneath the collar of her t-shirt. He was looking down at his hands as he caressed her, as if to be certain it he was really touching her.

"You don't know how long I have wanted to touch you. There were so many times we were together that it would have been so easy to reach over and touch your cheek…your arm… or take your hand. There were times I almost couldn't stop myself from doing it." Elliot was speaking in a whisper, afraid to break the spell of the moment. He was here, with Olivia, and he was finally able to tell her how he felt; how he was feeling; instead of tamping it all down inside of him.

Olivia shivered as he continued to run his thumbs across her collarbone while his hands caressed the skin on her upper arms.

"Your skin is as soft as I imagined it would be." He ran both hands down her arms, capturing her hands in his. He smoothed his thumbs across the back of her hands, staring down as if to memorize every detail. He brought one hand up and kissed it gently, and placed it against his cheek. As he did so, he looked up at Olivia, and saw she was staring at him intently, taking in everything he was saying.

He continued to hold her hand against his cheek, and took his other hand and caressed her cheek with it.

"Liv. You are so beautiful. Your face, your eyes, your skin, your body…your heart and your soul." He paused. He gently dropped her hand that was against his cheek and reached up so that both hands were cupping her face. He leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on her lips and pulled back. "You deserve so much Liv. You deserve someone that loves you, worships you, respects you." He ran his hands back down her arms and gathered her hands in his. He pulled them both up to his chest and rested their clasped hands over his heart. He could see tears brimming on Olivia's lower lashes and he smiled. "No one's going to hurt you ever again Olivia. I want to give you everything you ever wanted. I want to make you happy."

Olivia couldn't believe the words that were coming out of Elliot's mouth. In the past seven years she had known him, she could probably count on one hand the number of times he had opened up about anything, much less been this vulnerable and emotional. She never thought she would hear him tell her that he loved her, much less be on the receiving end of this raw emotion. She didn't even know he was capable of such tenderness and honesty. It was almost too much for Olivia. She had never had someone feel so…_much _for her_, _and the intensity of it scared her a little.

She looked up and saw Elliot watching her and she knew she had to say something. She opened her mouth, hesitating for a moment. What could she possibly say in response to that? She wanted to convey the depth of her feelings for him too, but also how scared she was at the prospect of a real relationship with him.

"El." she said softly. "I can hardly remember a time that I didn't love you. That I didn't want you to look at me, or touch me, like you are right now." She pulled her hands out of Elliot's and gripped the counter behind her, eliminating the contact between them. "But it also scares me. You're my best friend Elliot. You're my partner. You're the closest thing I have to family in this world. I couldn't take it if I lost you." Olivia looked away.

Elliot shook his head slightly, as if in disbelief. He put his hands on her shoulders and then ran them up to her cheeks, forcing her to look at him again.

"Did you just hear a word I said?" he said, a little frustration edging into his tone. "I love you. I'm not going anywhere. You're not going to lose me."

"What if things don't work out?" Olivia asked. "You don't know…"

"Liv. Stop it. Just stop it. Why are you sabotaging this before we've even started?" He knew that she was scared; that she had never really had anyone she could trust in her life to be there for her.

"I am not sabotaging anything. Elliot, we have our relationship worked out. We're great partners; we're great friends. Things are going well…"

Elliot dropped his hands. "We love each other. It can't get any simpler than that. Why can't we be together? I want more Liv. I can't stare across my desk anymore and wonder what it would feel like to caress your skin, to kiss you, to make love to you. I don't want to."

He took a step back. "Do you honestly think this isn't going to work out? We're the best of friends and know each other like nobody else does. We've been together for 7 years, and we fight and we make up and we care for each other and protect each other. That's the hard part. Adding the physical part is easy. The chemistry between us has always been undeniable. When I kissed you, the connection between us was undeniable. I have never felt this way about anyone."

Olivia couldn't argue with him. Everything he said was absolutely true. She looked down at the ground, and then slowly raised her eyes until they met his. She could get lost in those eyes. A smile tugged at her lips. "You're right." She paused. "But I have one question. Why now? You've been divorced for months…and never made any move to change things between us."

Elliot considered her question. "I had to get my shit together after the divorce; get my life settled and a routine established. It's hard to be on your own after twenty plus years of marriage. I thought about us a lot…you can't imagine how often I thought about the fact that I was free to pursue things with you." He took a step back and leaned against the counter across from Olivia. "But then I started to worry that maybe you would reject me or that you would feel like I was on the rebound." He stopped talking as Olivia got an amused look on her face. "What?"

"C'mon El. We've been dancing around this for so long. Did you really think that was likely?"

Elliot shook his head. "I guess I was just scared really. And maybe part of me was hoping you would make the first move." He saw Olivia smile again, shaking her head. "But then when I saw how much attention that jackass was paying you at the party, I started to realize that if I didn't speak up, I could lose you. That you date a lot of men, and what if you found Mr. Right while I was twiddling my thumbs? I realized that I took you for granted. That I assumed you would always be there waiting for me to get my shit together, and that it could change at any time."

"I don't date a lot of men…" Olivia started to protest.

"You're missing the point Liv. The point is, I realized I had to tell you how I felt. And then all this other stuff happened and everything came out. It wasn't really how I wanted to tell you. I had a more romantic version in my head."

"Well, everything that's happened today has been a surprise." She smiled shyly and averted her eyes. "If someone would have told me that Elliot Stabler would be standing in my kitchen and sharing such romantic thoughts with me and touching me so tenderly, I wouldn't have believed it. I have never seen this side of you." she pushed herself off the counter and looked up at him. "Things have been building between us for so long that I never imagined much…restraint. From either of us. I figured if we even did get to that kiss that it would be…" she paused, looking for the right words. She looked up at him. "I guess I figured we wouldn't be able to stop at a kiss; that it would be frantic and passionate. That we'd be tearing off each other's clothes and barely able to control ourselves."

Elliot closed the gap between them, his eyes twinkling. "Me too. That's more like the scene I had in my mind when I thought about kissing you for the first time. Unfortunately, the first time was at the precinct. Not a good place to rip off your clothes." He eyed her up and down. "You can't imagine how many times you've been the subject of my dreams…daydreams too." He put his hands on her waist and nuzzled her neck, nipping at her neck lightly. "And when we get to that point, it will be amazing and intense and I _will _be ripping your clothes off." He nipped her neck again.

Olivia swatted him on the arm playfully.

"Elliot."

He pulled back with a smirk on his face? "What? You just said the same thing! Now you're trying to tell me you haven't thought about us having sex?"

Olivia didn't want to admit how many times she had thought about it. "Maybe." she said playfully.

"Right. I've seen you looking at my ass." he teased back.

Olivia rolled her eyes. "The number of times you've caught me staring at you _pales_ in comparison to how many times I've caught you staring at me. And I am sure I've missed a lot."

"Yeah, that's true. Mostly because a lot of the times I was staring at you was when you were walking away." He slid his hands down and gave her ass a gentle squeeze. "You've got a great ass Liv." He gave her another smirk and wiggled his eyebrows at her.

She pulled his hands off of her and pushed him back slightly. "Nice El."

"C'mon Liv. I've waited so long…I couldn't resist." He put his hands back on her waist. "Now where were we?" He leaned in and captured her lips again. He moved his hand up and cradled the back of her head, threading his hand in her hair and deepening the kiss. Olivia wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer, reveling in the feel of his lips on hers. She could already feel her body responding to his kiss, and she knew that the chemistry they had felt all these years was real.

TBC


	14. Chapter 14

_Hey, I had some requests to update this story and I knew I needed to get back to it. I'm sorry if it's not very good; it's hard to go back and for the between stories. I will try to update this story some more before going back to "Together". Thanks for your reviews._

_EOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO_

Olivia felt Elliot's hands creep up underneath the back of her t-shirt. Olivia pulled away from the kiss. "El…" she whispered.

"Mmm." said Elliot, dropping his lips to her neck, placing kisses down her neck to her collarbone. He dropped his hands down to her waist and pulled her body against his.

Olivia needed to stop this. As much as she wanted this, she wasn't ready. There was too much hanging over her head. She hadn't gotten the results of all of the testing Melinda had done, and didn't have a final answer on the pregnancy either. She didn't want to start anything physical with Elliot until all of that was resolved; especially because when she made love with Elliot, she didn't want there to be any barriers between them. On top of that, Elliot didn't know about any of this. She didn't want to start a relationship with him based on deception.

Olivia pushed against his shoulders. "El….El, stop."

Elliot pulled away. "What's wrong?"

"We need to talk."

Elliot stepped away from her, a puzzled look on his face. He was pretty sure there had never been a good conversation that started with those words. "Sure."

"Let's go in the living room." Olivia reached into the refrigerator and grabbed two beers.

Elliot raised an eyebrow at her. "We're going to need alcohol for this talk?" he asked. More alarm bells were going off in his head. He couldn't imagine what they needed to talk about. With all of the shit that had happened today, what else could they possibly have to talk about?

Elliot sat down on the couch, but Olivia sat in the chair next to the couch. Elliot noticed that she was distancing herself from him. Olivia took a drink, finishing off half the bottle. She held on to the bottle, picking at the label with her fingernails.

"You're going to ruin your manicure." said Elliot, trying to lighten the mood. Olivia didn't look up, but stopped picking at the label. "Olivia, tell me what's bothering you."

Olivia looked up at him and sighed. She didn't want to tell him; she was afraid. They had finally told each other how they felt about each other, but if she told him this, she was worried she would lose him. He had a hard enough time with what happened with Jack, but telling him that she had unprotected sex; that she could be pregnant…that wasn't exactly the way most people wanted to start a new relationship. She started to tear up and swallowed hard, trying to fight back the tears.

Eliot was alarmed when he saw tears in Olivia's eyes. Olivia never cried. "Liv. Tell me what's wrong." He leaned over and tried to grasp her hand, but she pulled away. "Just tell me."

"I didn't tell you about everything that happened on Saturday night."

Elliot sat back, a little shocked. "OK." He said, his tone neutral.

Olivia took a deep breath. "I'm afraid to tell you." she whispered and a tear slid down her cheek.

Elliot shook his head. "Olivia, whatever it is, just tell me. I love you, and nothing you tell me is going to change that."

"You might change your mind when you hear what I have to tell you."

Now Elliot was really getting worried. Olivia wasn't prone to drama and it seemed like something was really weighing on her mind. Pushing her wasn't working; he had to wait until she was ready to tell him. He sat and waited, watching her as she continued to stare down at her beer bottle. She took another drink, finishing off the bottle. She set it down on the coffee table. She put her hands on her thighs, rubbing them up and down. She took another deep breath and looked up at Elliot.

"When I…had sex with Jack…" she started, noting the look that crossed Elliot's face when she said it. It passed quickly, but she had still seen the reaction and it made her pause. She looked down at her hands again, unable to look at him. "It happened so fast and…" she stopped again. She stood up and walked over to the windows. This was so hard. He was going to be shocked if she told him that she might be pregnant. Even though the chances were small, she still felt like she had to tell him. If she didn't, and then ended up pregnant, what would she say then?

Elliot stood up and walked up behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Liv…just tell me what's wrong."

"Elliot, do you know how long I've wanted to hear you tell me that you love me? Do you know how long I've wanted to feel your arms around me…to have you take me to bed?" She sighed. "I've loved you for as long as I can remember…" She turned around to face him and saw that he was smiling. "Why are you smiling?" she asked.

"I'm smiling because I feel the same way…I want to take you to bed too. You have no idea how much I've thought about making love to you. In fact, I thought that's where we were headed..." He put his hands on her waist.

"I want to El…more than you can ever know…" She ran her hand over his cheek. "I just have to get some things cleared up."

"Cleared up?" asked Elliot.

"Melinda's running some tests for me."

"Are you OK? Are you sick?" Elliot asked, suddenly worried that she was keeping some kind of serious illness from him.

"I'm not sick; or at least, not that I know." She just needed to suck it up and spit it out. "She's running tests for STD's and HIV…and I have to go back and have another pregnancy test."

Elliot looked confused. "What?"

"When I had sex with Jack, we didn't use anything. And while he's assured me that he's clean…I just have to get tested. I have to be certain. I don't want to pass anything on to you."

Elliot listened, but he was stuck on the words 'pregnancy test'.

Olivia was watching his face and could see that he was trying to process what she was telling him. First he'd had to find out that she had slept with Jack. Now he had to find out that she'd been stupid enough to have unprotected sex.

"I know it was stupid. I don't _ever_ do that. _Ever_." She reached out and put a hand on Elliot's arm. "El…" When he still didn't say anything, she dropped her hand. "Say something."

He looked up at her. "You could be pregnant?"

Olivia shook her head. "I don't think so. There's a very small chance."

"You're not on birth control?" Elliot furrowed his brow.

"Not really."

Elliot still looked confused. "Not really?"

"I never have unprotected sex Elliot, so I don't worry about taking my birth control pills; I forget sometimes."

Elliot turned away from her and sat back down on the couch. Olivia turned back towards the window, tears spilling over her lower lashes. She had lost him...everything she'd always wanted had been in her grasp…and one stupid night had ruined everything. And it was her fault. She had let it happen. She turned around.

"El. It's OK." she said, swiping at the tears trailing down her face. "I understand if you want to leave."

Elliot looked up at her. "Liv, I don't want to leave." He stood up and walked back over to her, wrapping his arms around her and burying his face in her hair. He placed a kiss on top of her head. "You can't scare me away that easily. I'm just trying to process everything." He sighed. "It's been a long day; a lot has happened."

"I'm sorry El. This is such a mess."

"Shhhh. It's OK. We'll figure it out together."

"But…"

"Liv...we'll figure it out together." He pulled back from her. "Let's not talk about this anymore today. I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted." He thought back to this morning and everything that had happened since he had received that goddamn envelope. "Let's just go to bed."

Olivia pulled back. "El…"

Elliot pulled her back to him. "I just want to sleep Olivia. Let me stay with you. Please?"

Olivia nodded. "I want you to stay."

Elliot leaned in and kissed her. "I love you. And whatever happens, we're in this together."

EOEOEOEOEOEO

Olivia woke up with Elliot's body draped over hers. She looked at the clock and saw it was 2AM. Everything that had happened that day came racing back, causing her to sigh heavily. Elliot stirred, pulling her body closer to his with the arm draped around her waist. Despite the turmoil going through her mind, she smiled. It was nice to have Elliot here with her; she could get used to this. She closed her eyes, trying to go back to sleep. But her mind wouldn't shut down. After another half an hour, she was still awake. She lifted Elliot's arm gently and rolled out from under his body. She found a sweatshirt and pulled it over her t-shirt and padded out into the living room. She turned on the TV and surfed for something to watch. She finally settled on an old movie, grabbed a blanket and lay down on the couch. She was hoping the movie would make her sleepy.

EOEOEOEOEOEO

Olivia woke up to the sound of Elliot's voice. She opened her eyes and saw him leaning over her, his hand on her arm. "Liv."

"Hey." said Olivia, sitting up. "What time is it?"

"7." said Elliot. "Why are you sleeping out here?"

"I couldn't sleep so I came out here. I was watching a movie and I must have fallen asleep."

"I thought maybe you didn't like sleeping with me…" he joked.

Olivia smiled. "Actually, it was really nice waking up with you next to me. I just didn't want to wake you by tossing and turning the rest of the night."

"If you needed to talk, you should have woken me."

"I didn't want to talk anymore. I'm all talked out." Olivia flopped back onto the couch. "I don't want to go to work today."

"Amen. Do you think Cragen would mind if we called in sick?" Elliot laughed, knowing that wasn't going to happen. "Get up and jump in the shower or I'm going to go and use all the hot water." Elliot stood up and headed towards the bedroom. Olivia jumped up and rushed past Elliot, making him laugh as she shut the bathroom door. "You win." he said. "But save some hot water for me."

EOEOEOEOEO

They left Olivia's apartment and headed towards the precinct. They stopped at a coffee shop on the way and grabbed coffee and a bagel. As they walked, Elliot debated whether or not to ask Olivia more about the tests Warner was running. He decided that if they were going to make this work, there couldn't be any secrets. They had to be honest with each other.

"So, when are you supposed to get the test results back from Warner?"

"I'm not sure. She said she would call me. Some tests are quick and others take a day or so." Olivia said.

"Have you taken a pregnancy test?" Elliot asked.

"Melinda gave me a test but it had been less than 48 hours. She said you can get a lot of false negatives."

"Did she give you the morning after pill?"

"She gave it to me, but…I couldn't take it El. I know I should have but I couldn't. I just couldn't." She looked over at him as they walked.

"I understand Liv." Elliot said. He took her hand in his. "Remember, we're in this together."

Olivia stopped, and Elliot stopped with her. "El. I just want to tell you again that I'm sorry about all of this."

"Liv…stop worrying. I'm not going anywhere. I love you."


	15. Chapter 15

Elliot and Olivia got to the precinct and got settled at their desks. With everything that had happened the previous day, neither one of them had accomplished much. Thankfully, there hadn't been any new cases.

Olivia sighed at the stack of paperwork sitting on her desk. She looked over at Elliot, and saw a similar expression on his face. She sighed again and dug into the first folder. They had been working about an hour when Olivia's desk phone rang. She picked it up.

"Benson." She listened for a moment and then said "OK." She hung up the phone and looked over at Elliot. She saw he was looking at her with a questioning look in his eye.

"M.E.?" he asked, referencing Melinda.

Olivia shook her head. "No. Someone's here to see me." she said. "They're sending him up."

"Who?" he asked.

Olivia shrugged. "They didn't say."

Olivia continued working until she saw Elliot stand up. She turned in her chair and saw Jack Spencer walking into the squad room. Elliot started towards him, but Olivia stood up and put her hand on his arm. "El. Let me handle this."

Elliot stopped but narrowed his eyes. Olivia walked over to Jack.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I want to talk to you." he said. "Is there somewhere we can talk?" He shot a worried look over at Elliot. "Privately?"

"I don't have anything else to say to you." Olivia said.

"I just need a minute." he said.

Elliot took a few steps over to where Olivia was standing. "She said she doesn't want to talk to you. Are you hard of hearing?" He said, anger in his voice.

Jack took a step back, his hand involuntarily moving to his nose, which was still taped from the day before.

Olivia put her hand on Elliot's arm. "I said I would take care of this." she said. She couldn't imagine what Jack could possibly have to say to her, but she decided she would give him a minute. They had to be civilized if they were going to get through Casey and Aaron's wedding.

She turned back to Jack. "You have one minute." She motioned for him to follow her and she took him into the file room so they could have some privacy. She opened the door, motioning him in, and shut it behind him. She folded her arms and leaned against the door.

Jack turned around to face her. "How are you?" he asked, smiling at her.

"What do you want?" Olivia asked, exasperation evident in her voice.

"When we were in Casey's office yesterday, you mentioned that you were having some tests run." He said, getting to the point.

"Yeah." Olivia said.

"Was that true or were you just trying to rattle me?"

"You didn't use a condom."

"No. But you don't have to worry about that. You're not going to get anything from me. I get tested regularly. I can give you the results from my doctor."

Olivia nodded. "OK." She hadn't been too worried, but that was somewhat of a relief to her. "Anything else?"

"Yeah…well…you also said you could be pregnant?" He looked uneasy.

"There's a chance."

Jack furrowed his brow. "You aren't on any kind of birth control? I find that hard to believe."

"I don't really care what you believe." Olivia said.

"Yeah, but if it turns out you are pregnant, how do you know it's mine?" he asked, halfway sitting on the table.

Olivia's mouth dropped open as she pushed herself off the door. She couldn't believe he'd said to her. She took a step towards him. "I don't sleep around and I don't have unprotected sex."

Jack had a skeptical look on his face. "Forgive me, but I find that hard to believe. You had sex with me just a few hours after you met me."

Olivia shook her head. "You son of a bitch." she said in a low tone. She crossed the room and slapped him hard. "Get the fuck out of here." She took a step back, breathing heavily and trying to control her anger. She wanted to slap him again.

He stood up and started walking towards the door. He turned to face her again.

"I'll leave but I just wanted to let you know that if you _are_ pregnant, I'm not really interested in the whole daddy thing. _IF_ you can prove it's mine, I'll pay to get rid of it."

Olivia swallowed hard and took a step towards him. "Get the fuck out of here." she said in a threatening tone. "Before I do something I'll regret."

"Just so we're clear." he said, opening the door.

"I SAID GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!" Olivia screamed at him. Everyone in the squad room had to have heard her, but at that moment, she didn't really give a shit.

Jack walked out of the room and Olivia followed him, slamming the door behind him. She was shaking from the adrenaline coursing through her. She walked over the table in the middle of the room, and swiped her arms across it, sending all the files on top of the table flying. As she did, she let out a yell of frustration that echoed throughout the room.

She heard the door open and she spun around as Elliot walked into the room. He took in the look on her face, her heavy breathing, and the files strewn about the room.

"What happened? What did that asshole do?" He was torn between comforting Olivia and tearing after Jack. He stood his ground. "Liv?"

Olivia just stood in place, fuming. She was trying to calm herself down. Why did she let him get to her like that? She didn't expect anything from him. She knew he was an ass. She took a deep breath and looked at Elliot. "I'm fine."

"Bullshit."

Olivia leaned against the table. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes, letting out a heavy sigh.

Elliot walked towards her and she put up her hands. "Don't." Elliot stopped, dropping his hands.

"What happened?"

Olivia looked at him, considering what she wanted to say.

"Liv. Before you make up some BS story or tell me you're fine again, remember what we talked about. We're in this together…so complete honesty."

Olivia looked down at the floor. "OK, but I need to be able to tell you things without worrying that you're going to go off half-cocked and beat the hell out of someone."

"It's that bad?" he asked.

"Promise me."

"I promise." Elliot said, not certain if he could keep that promise. Seeing Olivia this upset made him furious.

"He came here to tell me that he wasn't interested in being a father and told me that he would help me get rid of it if it did turn out I was pregnant." Olivia put up a hand and let out a strangled laugh. "Oh wait a minute… that's IF I could prove the baby was his." She looked at Elliot.

"If the baby is his?"

"Apparently I sleep around." She laughed. "This whole thing is such a fucking nightmare."

"I'm going to kill him." Elliot said.

"Elliot! You promised me you would let me handle this. Look what happened the last time you went after him!" She put her hands on his arms. "I need you to stop. I have enough shit to deal with without having to worry about you landing in jail or losing your job."

She dropped her hands and walked a few steps away. "You know what? This is all pointless. I'm not going to end up pregnant and none of this matters." She walked towards the door and opened it. "Let's get back to work." She strode out and walked back to her desk.

Elliot didn't follow her. The only thought running through is mind right now was that he wanted to kill Jack Spencer. He wanted to beat him to a bloody pulp and shut him up forever. To keep him away from Olivia so she didn't have to deal with this situation. But he knew she was right. If he went after Jack, he was afraid of what he might do, and that wouldn't be good for anyone. He started to pick up some of the folders that had been tossed around in her rage, trying to calm himself down in the process.

Olivia looked up as Elliot walked out of the file room about ten minutes later. He sat down at his desk, watching her watching him.

"You OK?" he asked, his tone sounding normal.

Olivia nodded. "I'm fine." She gave him a half smile and then looked back down at the files on her desk. "I'm fine." she half whispered, willing herself to believe it.

EOEOEOEOEOEOEO

It was late morning when she got a call from Melinda on her cell phone. She took a deep breath before she answered it.

"Hey."

"Hi Olivia. I wanted to let you know that I got most of your test results back and everything is negative. I knew you'd want to know right away."

Olivia let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks. I appreciate it."

"Any time Liv. I'm glad you came to me. Do you have any other questions?"

Olivia stood up from her desk, not wanting anyone to hear her conversation. She walked out into the hallway, feeling Elliot's eyes on her as she left the squad room. "Yeah. I have one question. When should I take another pregnancy test?"

"Well, you can take one any time, but the first few weeks, you can get some false negatives. Blood tests are more accurate. I can take some more blood in the next few days if you want." Melinda said. "But didn't you take the day after pill? That's pretty effective."

"I couldn't take it Melinda."

"Oh. I see." she said. "Well, your chances of getting pregnant are based on where you were in your cycle…so do you think…"

"Yeah, it's definitely a possibility Mel."

"Why don't you come in on Friday for a blood test. If you are pregnant, then the hormones should show up by then, since it will have been almost a week. OK?"

"OK Mel. Thank you." Olivia hung up the phone. She was trying to sort out how she felt. She wanted to have children, but hadn't planned on it happening this way. But still, a baby…and she knew she wouldn't have to deal with Jack. He would run as far in the other direction as he could. But she and Elliot were just starting to explore their relationship. Would he still want her if she was pregnant with another man's baby? She laughed out loud. There probably wasn't a man alive that wanted to see his lover pregnant by someone else. Why was her life just one big mess after another? What had she done to have things like this happen to her? She laughed again…she couldn't blame anyone for this but herself. She had willingly had sex with Jack. And as stupid as it was, she had to deal with the outcome.

She walked back into the squad room, and once again, Elliot was watching her. She sat down at her desk and looked over at Elliot. He raised an eyebrow as if to say "What's up?" This wasn't really anything she wanted to talk about in the squad room. She looked at her watch and saw it was only 10AM. Cripes, this day was already long.

She looked back over at Elliot. "How about we grab lunch around 1130." she asked.

"Sounds good." said Elliot, shifting his focus back to the stack on his desk. It was hard for him to tell how she was really doing. She kept any kind of emotion well masked. He was glad that she at least let the mask slip when they were alone; that she was willing to confide in him. He knew that was hard for her but he wanted her to feel safe with him; to know she could count on him. He also knew that no matter what the outcome, he wanted to be a part of her life. Now that he had told her how he felt, he wasn't ever going to let her go.


	16. Chapter 16

Olivia was just trying to get through the rest of the morning so she could escape and go to lunch. She didn't want to talk about any of this anymore today, and she was hoping Elliot would get that, and that they could talk about almost anything else.

She looked at her watch for the hundredth time since she'd gotten back to her desk and saw that it was a little after 11. She ran her hand through her hair and tried to focus on the files in front of her. She felt badly that she couldn't focus; she didn't want to mess up on any of the paperwork in front of her. She made a note to recheck all the information when she got back from lunch. She closed the file in front of her just as Captain Cragen stepped out of his office.

"Benson, Stabler, my office." he barked.

Olivia looked over at Elliot. She had forgotten that they still had to face the music from yesterday. She thought she had been there for most of Elliot's conversation with Cragen. She didn't know what happened at the end but it couldn't have been much worse. He heard that she had slept with Jack Spencer and saw the fallout from that. And while she was a grown woman, it still felt a little bit like she imagined it would feel if you were caught by your Dad.

Elliot had stood up, and was waiting for her. She stood up and walked past him. They both walked into Cragen's office and Elliot shut the door behind them. Cragen sat down behind his desk and rubbed his chin with his hand.

"I've been thinking all night and this morning about what I'm going to do with the two of you."

"Cap'n" Elliot started.

"Don't interrupt." Cragen said forcefully. He sighed. "I've been watching the two of you for years. I've had you talk to shrinks to try to evaluate your objectivity. I know you're close; probably too close, but I haven't seen it interfere with your jobs…" Cragen stood up and Olivia took that opportunity to look over at Elliot quickly and saw he was looking at her too. She was afraid of what Cragen what going to say, based on how this monologue was going.

Cragen turned back to look at them again and saw the look they were giving each other. "I am going to ask you this once. Is there any reason why I should be concerned about the two of you continuing to work together?"

Olivia kept her eyes on the Captain, not daring to look over at Elliot. She was afraid that if she did, she might give something away. She and Elliot hadn't had any time to discuss their current 'situation', but she knew there was no way in hell they were going to admit to anything…

Before Olivia could say anything, she heard Elliot speak up. "Captain. We're partners and we're best friends. If I get a little overprotective sometimes, well…that guy was an ass and he had it coming. It has nothing to do with us getting the job done."

"It does when it spills over into my squad room and when one of my best detectives gets arrested for assault." Cragen snapped back. "It's a distraction we don't need. We have victims out there and we can't be so focused on our own problems that we can't get the job done."

"I hear you and we understand that. And I'm sorry that it disrupted things here in the squad." Elliot cleared his throat. "What I meant is that there isn't _anything_ going on that interferes with Olivia and me working together." In the back of his mind, 'anything' meant they weren't having sex. If he had his way, that was all going to change…and soon. He wondered what the Captain would say if he knew what had transpired between the two of them yesterday morning. And how he'd feel if he found out two weeks from now that what Elliot said was true _today_…but it probably wouldn't be then.

Olivia spoke up. "Captain, this is all my fault. I'm sorry." She shot a look over at Elliot; technically a big part of it was his fault with his overprotective bullshit and his need to hit things. But she wasn't going to cast blame while they were in deep shit with the Captain. "We won't let anything like this happen again. We're 100% focused on the job." As she said those words, she thought back to the mess on her desk and her vow to get her head in the game after lunch. "100%."

The Captain stood and looked back and forth between the two of them. He was never quite sure what to believe with these two; they always covered for each other and he supposed that's what good partners do. But it still pissed him off that he could never quite be certain of many things when it came to his two best detectives. He wasn't entirely sure they hadn't taken their relationship too far…but without proof; he couldn't do anything but take their word for it and keep watching them.

"Elliot." he said. "Even though this man didn't end up pressing charges, I can't let you off. You assaulted a man while on duty, and that reflects badly on the NYPD. There are witnesses. So…two days without pay. Starting now."

Elliot started to object, but Cragen put up his hand to stop him.

"You're getting off easy. Now go. "

Olivia and Elliot started to get up when Cragen spoke again. "And Detectives…I'm watching you. One more incident like this and I'm going to have to consider splitting you up. In fact, when Elliot gets back, I'm going to break you up every now and then; pair you with Munch and Fin."

Elliot started to object again. "But Cap'n, I'm the one watching Liv's back…"

"I don't want to hear Elliot. Don't make me regret my decision to keep you two together."

Olivia touched Elliot's arm briefly, urging him to stop arguing and to leave the Captain's office. She knew Cragen was angry, and she didn't want Elliot to push him into making a permanent change.

As they walked out, Fin and Munch looked up at them. "You two get called to the principals' office again? Whad'ya do now?" asked Fin, shaking his head. He was glad he didn't get called into Cragen's office as often as these two did.

"None of your business." said Elliot, slamming his chair into his desk.

"El." said Olivia, putting her hand on his arm again, trying to get him to calm down. "It could have been worse."

Elliot knew she was right. Cragen had every reason to split them up. This wasn't the first time one of them had crossed the line and those dings added up. But he was still angry about it; he didn't want Olivia to be paired up with anyone but him. While Munch and Fin loved Olivia in their own way, he still didn't think anyone could protect her like he did.

He looked over at Olivia, who had taken a seat at her desk. "Aren't we going to lunch?"

"You still want to go?" she asked. She knew the 2 day suspension put him in a foul mood, and she wasn't certain she could handle a moody Elliot right now.

"Might as well. I have to leave anyway."

Olivia sighed. "OK." She stood up again and followed Elliot out of the precinct.

EOEOEOEOEOEOEO

Elliot and Olivia ended up at a diner a few blocks from the precinct building. Olivia slid into the booth and sighed. This day couldn't end fast enough. These last four days had been such an emotional rollercoaster and she wanted to crawl into bed and sleep for the next four.

"You OK?" Elliot asked.

Olivia kept her eyes trained on the menu, even though she could have recited the damn thing by heart. They ate there at least once a week.

"I'm fine." She replied; her standard answer almost every time anyone asked her that question.

Elliot was quiet for the next few minutes, knowing her answer probably meant she was anything but, and knowing he wouldn't be able to push her into talking.

The waitress came and took their order and Elliot slumped back into his seat, looking over at his partner. She was looking out the window, very obviously trying to avoid looking at him.

"So…" he said finally, and she turned her attention back to him briefly. He saw a little challenge in her eyes, letting him know that there was an entire list of topics he wasn't allowed to bring up, so he hesitated. There were a lot of things they needed to discuss but even he didn't know where to start.

He blew air out in a kind of exasperated sigh…and just continued staring at her. If she didn't want to talk, there was no way he was going to be able to make her. She was as stubborn as he was; maybe more. But this silent staring contest between them was growing increasingly awkward. They had never been at a loss for words with each other and it was starting to grate on his already frayed nerves.

"Liv." he started again and she narrowed her eyes at him again, as if daring him to speak. "We need to talk." There, he'd said it.

Olivia sighed in resignation. "I don't want to talk El."

"Ever?" he joked, trying to break the tension.

Olivia cocked her head and gave him another one of her patented looks, letting him know she didn't appreciate his comment and his attitude.

"I just…" her voice trailed off. She sighed again. "It's too much. My mind is going round and round and I can't shut it off. I don't want to talk about anything that's happened in the past four days…"

Elliot interrupted her. "Anything?" He was thinking about the conversation they'd had on the roof. He could understand her not wanting to talk about the fucking nightmare with Jack Spencer, but he would have thought she would want to talk about the things they'd said to each other; about the fact that he'd told her that he loved her.

"You heard Cragen. We need to have our heads in the game. 100%" she said. "I don't want to do a shitty job El. There are people counting on us; victims that need our help."

"So…what? We're just going to pretend like nothing happened?"

"I just want to forget about these past 4 days. Nothing good can come out of dwelling on it. We have to move forward."

Now Elliot was truly and completely dumbfounded. He had told her that he loved her, and she had told him the same thing. And now she wanted to forget about it? Walk away as if it never happened?

Elliot leaned forward. "Liv. I don't want to forget…." He reached a hand across the table reaching for hers and Olivia shrank back, looking around the diner. They were only a few blocks from the precinct and undoubtedly knew people here.

"What are you doing?" she hissed.

Elliot pulled back quickly, surprised at her vehement reaction. "I just…" he furrowed his brow. He knew this wasn't the right place to have this conversation but he would go crazy if they didn't talk about it. "Liv. Are you telling me you want to forget about what happened up on the roof?" Before she could reply, he continued. "Because I can't. We don't have to talk about it right now, but we are going to discuss at some point. Soon."

"Elliot. My life is a mess right now. You don't want to get involved with me." She looked down at her glass of water. She couldn't believe she was saying those words, but she wanted to give him an out. With everything that had happened over the past few days, she knew he was probably kicking himself for telling her how he felt. He'd been trapped into marrying Kathy at 18; she didn't want him to feel stuck in this relationship too. "Really. It's OK. We'll be partners. We'll be friends. We can just forget everything we said to each other and go back to the way things were." She looked up at Elliot and saw the stricken look on his face. She had to look back at her glass to keep herself from caving; from telling him that she didn't want to forget about it. That she loved him more than anything and she didn't want to be just partners and friends. But she knew that for his sake, she had to be strong. "El. What I said…it was just the heat of the moment. I don't know why I said it." She could feel the tears welling up and didn't dare look up at Elliot. "I can't…" She stood up abruptly, avoiding all contact. "I have to go." She grabbed her things and rushed out of the restaurant, leaving a stunned Elliot sitting at the booth.


	17. Chapter 17

**Sorry for the wait. I had to get another story out of my head, "Taking Chances". If you haven't read it yet, give it a whirl. Here is the next installment; I know a lot of people were worried about Liv walking out…sorry to keep you waiting. Please read and review. I will try to update again very soon.**

_"Elliot. My life is a mess right now. You don't want to get involved with me." She looked down at her glass of water. She couldn't believe she was saying those words, but she wanted to give him an out. With everything that had happened over the past few days, she knew he was probably kicking himself for telling her how he felt. He'd been trapped into marrying Kathy at 18; she didn't want him to feel stuck in this relationship too. "Really. It's OK. We'll be partners. We'll be friends. We can just forget everything we said to each other and go back to the way things were." She looked up at Elliot and saw the stricken look on his face. She had to look back at her glass to keep herself from caving; from telling him that she didn't want to forget about it. That she loved him more than anything and she didn't want to be just partners and friends. But she knew that for his sake, she had to be strong. "El. What I said…it was just the heat of the moment. I don't know why I said it." She could feel the tears welling up and didn't dare look up at Elliot. "I can't…" She stood up abruptly, avoiding all contact. "I have to go." She grabbed her things and rushed out of the restaurant, leaving a stunned Elliot sitting at the booth._

When she got outside she hesitated. She leaned back against the outside wall of the diner, closing her eyes and letting out a huge sigh. That was one of the hardest things she had ever done; she loved Elliot so much and had meant every word she had said on the rooftop. But she didn't want him to get caught up in this mess she had made with Jack Spencer, and she didn't want them to mess up at work and cause them to lose their jobs and their pensions. Elliot had a family to support. She had been alone her whole life and it could stay that way…then no one got hurt. She tried to figure out where she could go right now. She had to go somewhere that Elliot wouldn't think of, and that meant she couldn't go to her apartment or the precinct. She knew he would follow her and if he did, she knew she wouldn't be able to refuse him again. She pushed herself off the wall and hailed a cab, giving the cabbie Casey's office address.

EOEOEOEOEOEOEO

Elliot sat in the booth, too stunned by Olivia's words to react to her departure. He knew Olivia had been through a lot the past four days, and while she could handle a lot on the job…with victims…with her friends…she couldn't handle it when things got too intense in her personal life. Her first instinct was to withdraw. He understood that; should have anticipated it. But to completely deny everything they had said to each other. He couldn't believe it. He knew she meant it just as much as he did. He couldn't forget it…he didn't want to. He didn't want to be just partners; he wanted more.

He slid out of the booth. He had already waited too long to tell her how he felt…to be with her. He wasn't going to let her go. He threw some money down on the table and rushed out of the diner, looking left and right as he exited. He didn't see her anywhere, so he headed back to the precinct. That was the most logical place for her to go. She would want to bury herself in her work.

He almost jogged to the precinct, rushing out of the elevator as soon as the doors opened. He walked into the squad room and Munch and Fin looked up.

"Cap'n said you were suspended." said Munch. "You shouldn't be here."

Elliot ignored what he said. "Where's Liv?"

Fin gave him a funny look. "She's with you man" he laughed. "Did you lose her?"

"She's kind of hard to misplace." said Munch.

Elliot scowled. "Did you she come back through here?" he asked.

Fin leaned back in his chair. "You two fighting again? What the hell did you do now Stabler?" He had never seen two people fight as much as these two did. But for as much as they fought, they always had each other's backs. They'd be at each other's throats, and then the next minute, they'd be defending each other from someone else's comments or allegations.

Elliot practically growled at Fin. "I don't have time for this shit. Is she here or not?"

Munch stood up. "She's not here Elliot. We haven't seen her." he said.

Cragen walked out of his office looking at some paperwork. He looked up as he walked and spotted Elliot. "What are you doing here?" he said, frowning.

"Just had to pick up something that I forgot." he said.

"Like his partner." Fin muttered under his breath and Elliot shot him a dirty look.

"What?" Cragen asked.

"Nothing." said Elliot. "I'm just going to grab something out of my locker and then I'm outta here." he said, heading towards the cribs. He had hoped Olivia was up in the cribs and the guys had just missed her, but no such luck. He sat down on the bench and put his head in his hands. She had to come back here eventually…she wouldn't just cut out of work. He would wait up here as long as he could without getting seen by Cragen. He pulled out his phone, and send her a text message, asking her to call him as soon as possible. He lay down on one the bunks, watching his phone for a reply.

EOEOEOEOEO

Olivia knocked on Casey's office door and Casey looked up. "Hey Liv."

Olivia walked in. "Do you have a few minutes?" she asked, shutting the door behind her.

Casey raised an eyebrow at her. "Um…sure?" she said. She watched Olivia as she dropped into the chair across from her desk. She put down her pen. "What's up?"

Olivia closed her eyes and let out a heavy sigh. "My life is so fucked up." she said quietly.

"Oh God…you're pregnant?" said Casey, immediately fearing the worst after seeing the look on her friends face and hearing her dire statement.

"What?" asked Olivia. "No!" she said. She hadn't even been thinking specifically about that; she'd been thinking about the mess with Elliot. "I mean, I don't know." Olivia stood up abruptly and started pacing back and forth. "Aghhh." She ran her hands through her hair, the tangle of issues racing through her mind.

Casey stood up and walked over to where Olivia was pacing, forcing Olivia to stop. She put her hands on Olivia's shoulders. "Liv. Honey. Tell me what's wrong."

Olivia looked up at her and Casey could see tears in her eyes. Casey couldn't think of one time she had seen Olivia cry, despite all of the things she saw every day. "Oh Liv." She wrapped her arms around her friend and pulled her close, hugging her as Olivia cried silently on her shoulder. After a few minutes, Olivia seemed to collect herself and pulled away, embarrassed at her behavior.

"I'm sorry Casey. I'm gonna go." Olivia said, turning towards the door.

"Liv. Don't go. Come here and talk to me." She put her hand on Olivia's arm and steered her towards the table and chairs in her office. Olivia didn't fight her, dropping into the chair without resistance.

Casey grabbed two bottles of water out of the small refrigerator she kept in her office and handed one to Olivia as she sat down.

"OK, tell me what's wrong." Casey said.

"I didn't tell you everything that happened the other day." she started.

"There's more?" Casey asked; a shocked look on her face. She couldn't imagine what else she hadn't told her about the whole Jack Spencer affair.

Olivia took a deep breath. She had to get this all of her chest and Casey was her closest friend; maybe she could help her sort it all out. "When Elliot found out about Jack, he flipped out. He made a scene in front of the whole squad room, basically letting everyone know that I had slept with Jack. He was furious and stormed up to the roof, and I was humiliated and went up to the cribs." Olivia took a sip of water. "I sat up there for a few minutes, upset by what Elliot had said, and the humiliating scene in the squad room, and then I got angry. Angry that he thought he could control my life; and the realization that he did…he does." She took another drink of water. "So I stormed up to the roof to confront him and…" she paused and looked back down at her bottle of water. She started picking at the label.

"So you confronted him…" Casey prompted.

Olivia nodded.

Casey waited for her to say something, but when she didn't she prompted her again. "And what did he say?"

Olivia looked up at Casey. "He said that he loved me." she whispered.

Casey smiled. "That's great Liv!" she said. She knew how Olivia felt about Elliot, and had watched the two of them deny their feelings for so long. "I told you that he loved you the other day in the break area. You told me you knew. I thought it was funny that you said that because usually deny it." Casey leaned back in her chair. "But he had just told you, right?"

Olivia nodded.

"But surely you knew that before he told you." Casey said.

Olivia shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. I guess I thought he did but I didn't know for sure. And then when he didn't say anything after his divorce, I started to wonder…you know our relationship has always been complicated…." her voice trailed off.

"What did you tell him? You told him how you felt right?" Casey asked.

Olivia nodded.

"I'm sorry Liv, but I don't understand what the problem is. You and Elliot have been dancing around this for years. And now you've told each other how you feel…so…" Casey looked at Olivia expectantly.

Olivia sighed again. "Casey, everything is such a mess right now. I had sex with some guy I just met…who does that? What made me do something like that? Elliot's never going to forget that." She stood up and started pacing again. "AND, I might be pregnant for God's sake. Why would Elliot want to get involved with me now?"

"Liv. He _loves_ you!"

"If we tell anyone, then we can't work together any more. One of us would have to leave SVU. IF someone thinks we've been involved, we could even lose our jobs." Olivia said, continuing to ramble and not really paying attention to what Casey had said. She dropped back into the chair.

Casey shook her head. "Olivia Benson. Do you know how many people look their whole life for find someone to love them like Elliot loves you? And like you love him?" She reached out and put her hand over Olivia's. "You aren't going to lose your job. Sure, one of you may have to leave SVU, but wouldn't that be worth it to be able to go home to Elliot every night?"

Olivia didn't say anything and Casey let out an exasperated sigh.

"Liv. Do you want to know what I think?" Casey didn't give Olivia a chance to reply before she forged ahead. "I think you're afraid to rely on anyone else. You've been on your own for so long that you're afraid of relinquishing any amount of control. I think trusting in Elliot and your relationship scares the hell of you."

Olivia pulled her hand out from under Casey's and stood up, walking away from the table.

"You think it's easier to be alone…to not have to rely on anyone else. If you don't rely on anyone else then they can't disappoint you." Casey continued. She stood up and followed Olivia across the room. Olivia turned and looked at her friend, angry that she was challenging her.

"What do you know about it?" Olivia asked, anger in her tone.

"Liv. I'm not trying to make you mad. But you and Elliot love each other. You've told each other and there's no going back. Do you honestly think you can work together as partners? That you can act like nothing has changed?" Casey put her hand on Olivia's shoulder. "Do you really think you'll be happier denying your feelings when you have an opportunity to have something real?" Casey hugged her close and pulled back again. "Liv. It's so worth the risk. Love is giving part of your heart to someone else and trusting them with it, and I know that's scary but the rewards are so worth it. And I hate to tell you this…but you've already given you your heart to Elliot."


	18. Chapter 18

_I'm not sure if I'm on the right track with this story…I hope people are enjoying it. Thanks for reading and thanks for your reviews._

EOEOEOEOEOEO

Olivia put her hand to her mouth…her anger was gone. She nodded her head. "You're right. I have given my heart to Elliot." she whispered. "And I _am_ scared. What if I mess this up? I'm no good at relationships. If I lose Elliot, I lose everything."

"Liv. I can't imagine what you could possibly do to ruin your relationship with Elliot. He absolutely adores you. You'd be crazy to throw that away." Casey said. "And I'm telling you now that if you don't pursue this with him, you're probably going to lose him anyway. I don't see how you can go back to the way things were. I don't think he could bear it."

Olivia sat down in the chair; she knew that everything that Casey said was true. She put her head in her hands. "Oh my God. What have I done?" She looked back at Casey. "I told him that I didn't mean what I said…that I didn't love him." She knew she must have hurt him and she felt sick.

Casey put a hand on her shoulder again. "Liv. He knows you didn't mean it. He knows you love him."

Olivia stood up. "I have to find him." She started to head for the door. She stopped and turned back to Casey. She gave her a small smile. "Thanks Casey. Thanks for being such a good friend and for listening to me. I really appreciate it."

"Any time Liv." said Casey. "You can pay me back by being letting me be the first to know what happens."

Olivia nodded as she headed out the door. "I'll be in touch."

She rushed out of the elevator and out of the building, planning to hail a cab. And then she realized that she had no idea where Elliot was, and that she was supposed to be at work. She pulled out her phone to give Elliot a call and saw that it was dead. "Damn it!" She could tell what a mess she had been the last few days because she never forgot to charge her phone. She looked at her watch and saw that it was almost 2PM. She was torn because she really wanted to find Elliot, but she also knew Cragen was going to have her ass. Since Elliot was suspended, she knew he wouldn't be at the precinct, so she was going to have to wait to talk to him. She stepped out in the street and flagged down a cab. At least she could give Elliot a call when she got back to the precinct.

EOEOEOEOEOEO

Elliot kept checking his phone, but didn't see a reply from Olivia. He looked at his watch and saw it was a little past 1:30. It was obvious that she wasn't coming back to the precinct. It was unlike her to skip out of work, but maybe she had called Cragen. And he couldn't ask Cragen because he wasn't supposed to be there. He sighed heavily. He had to talk to her; talk some sense into her. He didn't know where she was, but there were only so many places she could go. And sooner or later, she'd have to go to her apartment. He got up and looked out of the door of the cribs. Not seeing anyone, he slipped out and headed towards Olivia's apartment.

EOEOEOEOEOEO

Olivia slipped back into the squad room, and sat down at her desk. She was happy to see that Munch and Fin weren't there. She had just opened up a file on her desk when Cragen came out of his office. "Olivia. My office. Now."

Olivia pushed her chair back and walked over to the Captain's office. After she walked in, Cragen told her to shut the door. Olivia complied and then sat down in one of the chairs in front of his desk.

"Where the hell have you been?" he asked.

Olivia hesitated a second before she answered. "I had a quick bite with Elliot and then I was at Casey's office."

"Casey's?"

Olivia nodded.

"So you weren't out with Elliot this entire time?" Cragen still didn't know if he believed the story the two of them had told him, and he wasn't happy when he had seen them take off at lunch and Olivia hadn't returned. "So if I call Casey right now, she'll tell me you were there?"

Olivia nodded, upset that the Captain didn't believe her. "Yes. You can call her. Several people saw me there." She knew that was true; she had said 'hi' to several people as she walked in.

The Captain seemed to consider what she'd said, and finally sat down in his chair. "Next time, call me and let me know when you're plans change like that. I had to send Fin and Munch out on a case because you weren't here. We're already shorthanded now that Elliot's on suspension."

"I understand. Sorry, I just didn't think." she said, standing up. "Won't happen again."

She walked out of his office and back to her desk. Now she was really screwed; there was no way she could sneak out of here early today. Cragen was going to be watching her. She dug through her drawers, looking for her cell phone charger. She finally found it and plugged her phone in. As it started to power up, Cragen came out of his office. "Just got a call from Fin. They need you over at Mercy. The vic won't talk to them; they need you there."

"OK, tell them I'm on my way. My phone is dead, so I won't be in touch. I'll try to plug it in and charge it at the hospital." She quickly unplugged her phone and tucked the phone and the charger in her pocket. She snagged the keys to the sedan and headed out, driving to Mercy.

EOEOEOEOEO

Elliot pulled up in front of Olivia's apartment and parked the sedan. He hopped out and rang the buzzer at the front entrance. She didn't answer, but he didn't expect she would. He grabbed the door as someone came out of the buildings, practically running up the four flights of stairs to her apartment. He knocked on the door. "Liv!" He waited, putting his ear to the door. He didn't hear anything, but that didn't necessarily mean she wasn't home. He pounded on the door. "LIV!" He kept pounding. "LIV! Let me in! I'm not going until you let me in!" Olivia's neighbor opened her door and poked her head out. She was an older women; the busybody on the floor.

"What is going on?" she said, squinting her eyes, trying to figure out what was going on.

"Mrs. Seilman. It's OK. It's me, Elliot." Elliot took a few steps towards her. "You remember me, right? I'm Olivia's partner." He took out his badge as he walked closer, just in case she didn't remember him.

She nodded. "Yes, I remember. I'm not senile. You need to stop that racket. I don't think she's home." she said with a scolding tone. "Leave a note!" she said, shutting her door.

Elliot shook his head. He still wasn't convinced she wasn't here. Where else would she go? He pulled his key ring out of his pocket and fingered the key to her apartment. He debated using it. If she _was_ inside, she would be pissed at him letting himself in. But at least she would be forced to talk to him. He hesitated slightly before sliding the key into the lock. He turned the key and pushed the door open slightly. He poked his head inside "Liv?" As looked around and could tell she wasn't there. There weren't any lights on and her keys and badge and stuff weren't on the small table next to the door where she usually left them. He pushed the door open and stepped inside, closing the door behind him. He stood there for a minute, debating what he should do. She would have to come back here eventually; maybe he should just wait. He really didn't have anything better to do…

EOEOEOEOEO

Olivia got to Mercy and rushed into the emergency room. She found Munch and Fin in the waiting area and they filled her in on the case. Apparently the 15 year old rape victim didn't want any men around and had freaked out when the two male detectives walked in. Olivia nodded her head and walked into the exam room, ready to talk to the victim.

She came out about two hours later, rubbing the back of her neck with her left hand. Fin was waiting for her.

"You OK?" he asked, as Olivia sat down next to him.

"Yeah." said Olivia, tiredly. "It's just…" Her voice trailed off.

"What?" asked Fin.

Olivia shook her head. "It's just been a long couple of days." She looked back towards the exam room. "And that poor girl. No one should have to go through that." She sighed again. "I hope we get some DNA from the rape kit and catch the bastard that did this to her."

"We'll get him Liv." Fin said putting a hand on her shoulder. "Why don't you go home and get some rest?"

Olivia looked at her watch and saw it was almost 5. "I'm not sure if I should. Cragen is pissed at me. I should maybe go back to the house for a little bit and fill out the paperwork while all of this is fresh in my mind." She sighed again. "I need some coffee."

Fin stood up. "C'mon baby girl. I'll take you back to the precinct and I'll even stop and get you some coffee on the way." He held out his hand and pulled her up from the chair.

Olivia smiled. "Thanks Fin. You're the best." Olivia walked out with Fin, thinking about how lucky she was to have such good friends like Fin and Casey. She put a hand on Fin's arm. "I mean it Fin. You're a good friend to me and I appreciate it."

Fin looked over at her and gave her a smile. "I love you Liv. We all do. We're family and you know we'd do anything for you."

Olivia was surprised. Fin wasn't one to express emotion, so she knew he really meant it when he said it. "I love you too Fin." She looped her arm through his, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Ah…no, no, no. Let's not get all sentimental." he said, pushing her off him and Olivia laughed. That was the Fin she knew. They got in the car laughing and Olivia realized that was the first laugh she'd had in several days.

EOEOEOEOEOEO

Elliot startled awake and realized he had fallen asleep on Olivia's couch. After he had entered her apartment, he had grabbed a bottle of water out of Olivia' refrigerator and sat down on the couch, surfing through channels on her TV. He had been watching an old movie and must have dozed off. He looked at his phone and saw that it was almost 4. He also saw that he didn't have any messages from Olivia. He was frustrated; he knew that Olivia had gotten the message he had left; Olivia _always_ had her phone. He opened his messaging again and drafted another message.

"Liv. Call me please. I need to know where you are. I love you." He hesitated and read the message again. He didn't want to freak her out again. He backspaced, deleting the I LOVE YOU part of the message, and hit SEND. He knew she wouldn't answer. She could be so stubborn. He had to figure out a way to make her understand how much he loved her; how much he wanted this to work. He knew she felt the same way. That her telling him that she didn't mean it was bullshit. But he knew she was scared too. So he had to think of some way to make her understand that he was serious about this; that she didn't have to run away from him. That everything that had happened didn't matter to him. He loved her…and nothing else mattered.

EOEOEOEOEOEOEO

Olivia and Fin got back to the precinct, coffee in hand. Olivia made sure she stopped in Cragen's office and let him know she was back. She filled him in on the interview and told him she would finish her paperwork before she left. She had arranged to have a uniform pick up the rape kit and drop it off at the M.E.'s. She walked back out to her desk, and plugged her phone in. She hated it when her phone was dead; she felt so disconnected.

As soon as she had plugged her phone in, it started buzzing with incoming messages. She saw two messages form Elliot and a message from Casey. She thumbed open the message from Casey and smiled.

"Just checking in. Let me know you're OK. Love u." Olivia hit REPLY and typed a quick message back to Casey. "I'm fine. Caught a case. Still at house. I'll check in later." She hit SEND.

She let out a heavy sigh, and opened up the messages from Elliot. She read them both. She closed her eyes. She could imagine that Elliot was pretty frustrated right about now. He didn't have a lot of patience…especially when it came to her. She didn't want to talk to him; she couldn't. She had no will power when it came to him and she knew if she saw him or spoke to him; she wouldn't be able to lie again; to pretend she felt nothing for him. But she also didn't want him to hurt any more than she had already hurt him. She reluctantly hit REPLY. She debated what to say. She wanted to let him know she was OK, but she didn't want to start a text conversation. She finally decided on something short. "At the house. Caught a case." She hit SEND, figuring he wouldn't bother her if he knew she was working on a case. Plus, he wasn't allowed in the precinct since he was suspended.

Olivia tried to focus on the paperwork in front of her; it was easy to slip into the job she knew so well. Fin and Munch were still at their desks, and she could hear Fin on the phone in the background. She was noting everything that their victim had told her when she felt like someone was staring at her. She looked up and saw it was Fin. He was still on the phone, and when she looked up, he looked away. Olivia furrowed her brow. straining to hear what he was saying.

"Yeah, she's still here." He nodded. "Finishing up some paperwork." He was quiet again. "I don't know…maybe an hour? Yeah man." He hung up the phone.

Olivia scowled at him. "Who was that?" she asked. She had a strong suspicion that he had been talking to Elliot. "Were you talking to Elliot?"

"Nah, that was my girl…wondering when I'm gonna be home." Fin said, turning back to his own paperwork. He hated to lie to Olivia but Elliot had told him not to tell her that he had called.

EOEOEOEOEOEO

Olivia scrubbed at her face with her hands. She had finished her paperwork and was ready to go home. She wanted to take a long, hot bath and crawl into bed. She felt like she could sleep for days. She stood up and stretched, looking over at Fin and Munch.

"I'm out of here guys." she said. "You almost done?"

They both looked up at her. "Yeah, we'll be out of here soon." said Munch.

"Have a good night." said Fin.

"I plan on it." she said. She grabbed her phone and headed out the door. She hailed a cab; too tired for the subway tonight. She got to her apartment building and took the elevator, feeling especially lazy tonight. But really, she didn't give a shit right now. She'd had a few rough days and she made a promise to herself that she'd work out tomorrow morning. As she got to her door, she got an incoming message from Casey. She stood outside her door and thumbed open the message.

"Meet me for breakfast tomorrow?" Olivia smiled, putting the key in the door and turning the knob. She could always work out _after_ work. She hit REPLY on her phone and started to draft a reply as she walked into her apartment. She noticed movement out of the corner of her eye and looked up, nearly dropping her phone. "Elliot!" she gasped. "You scared the shit out of me." She stopped, looking around the room. It was lit softly with numerous candles around the room, and as Olivia walked in, she saw that he had set her small table for two, complete with flowers as the centerpiece. She turned back to Elliot. "What _is_ all this?" she asked cautiously. "What are you doing in my apartment?"

"I wanted to surprise you." he said.

She looked around the room, trying to avoid looking at him. "Well, you did that."

Elliot walked over and took her stuff out of her hands, setting it on the small table in the foyer. He took her hands and led her further into the apartment. Olivia pulled her hands out of his when they stopped, still looking around at her apartment. Elliot had put a lot of work into this; it was set up beautifully and she could smell something cooking.

"Liv…I'm sorry that I let myself in, but I knew you were avoiding me and I had to talk to you." He put one hand under her chin, forcing her to look at him. "I want you to know how much I love you. How much you mean to me. I don't care about anything that happened before this. I don't care about Jack Spencer or anything other men in your past. None of that matters to me." He cupped her face in his hands. "I waited too long to tell you how I feel about you, but when I finally did, it was such a huge relief. And when you said it back to me, I couldn't believe it. You made me so happy." He leaned in looking directly into her eyes. "Please don't run from this Liv. Don't run from us."

He pulled back, never breaking eye contact. He could see love in her eyes, but he also saw fear and uncertainty lurking there. He had hoped that just seeing him again would make her understand how he felt; that this was forever.

"Liv?" he said softly. "You're the other half of me…I can't live without you. Please tell me that you love me; that you want this too." He ran his hands up and down her arms, "Please."


	19. Chapter 19

**Sorry about leaving everyone hanging at the end there! I knew I was going to update this story soon, so you'd get to know what happens; hope you weren't too upset with me! Here we go. **

"_Liv?" he said softly. "You're the other half of me…I can't live without you. Please tell me that you love me; that you want this too." He ran his hands up and down her arms. "Please."_

EOEOEOEOEOEO

Olivia took a step back. "Elliot." She turned her back to him. "I…" her voice trailed off. She looked around her apartment; looked at the room softly lit by candles; looked at the table beautifully set for two; the lilies in the centerpiece…everything that Elliot had poured into making a romantic evening for her. She swallowed hard and could feel the pinprick of tears forming. Her breath hitched as she tried to hold back a sob…she wanted all of this. But there was still something in the back of her mind telling her that she didn't deserve this; that she wasn't ever going to get a happy ending.

She jumped slightly when she felt Elliot's hands rest lightly on her shoulders. "Liv." He turned her around to face him, and could see that she was trying not to cry. "Why are you fighting this Liv?" He rubbed his thumbs lightly across her collarbone, making her shudder. He leaned in and hesitated a moment, looking into her eyes, before placing a gentle kiss on her lips. He pulled back and Olivia took in a small breath, parting her lips. He leaned in and captured her lips again, continuing with another gentle kiss, taking her lower lip into his. The kiss was soft and slow, and when he pulled back, he looked back into Olivia's eyes. "Tell me that you don't love me…" he challenged. He leaned in again, and this time, Olivia participated in the kiss, moving her arms up around his neck. Her lips pressed against his and they continued their slow, languid kisses. Olivia was reveling in the way his lips felt against hers. She wanted this to last forever.

Elliot pulled away and Olivia protested slightly at the loss of contact. Elliot took her chin in his hands. "Open your eyes." Olivia opened her eyes to see Elliot staring into hers. "Tell me you don't love me." he said again.

"I don't love you" Olivia whispered.

Elliot growled slightly and crashed his lips on hers again, kissing her hungrily. He deepened the kiss, cupping the back of head with his hand and teasing her with his tongue. Elliot felt Olivia shudder against him and he smiled against her mouth. Olivia wrapped her arms more tightly around his neck and Elliot wrapped a hand around her waist, pulling her closer.

When Elliot pulled Olivia against his body, Olivia felt another shudder run through her. Her entire body was tingling with each new sensation; the feel of his lips on hers, the taste of him, his hard body against hers. She wanted him to put his hands on her; she wanted him to fuck her senseless. The thought of it sent another rush of heat through her body and she could feel dampness in her underwear. She groaned at the thought of a naked Elliot Stabler pressed up against her. No. No, no, no. Thinking with her body and not her head was what got her into this situation with Jack. And even though this was completely different, she need to be cautious; not let herself be carried away by emotion. She pulled away from Elliot, surprising him with the suddenness of her actions.

She turned away from him and took a few steps into the living room.

"Liv, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to rush you." Elliot said, kicking himself for pushing her.

Olivia turned around. "No…I wanted to…" Olivia ran her hands through her hair. "Do you want the truth?" she asked, not believing it when she heard those words come out of her mouth. Since when had she and Elliot every told each other the truth? Most of the time, everything between them went left unsaid; leaving the other one trying to read between the lines.

Elliot nodded. "I've been honest with you. Some honesty from you would be nice." Elliot regretted it after he said it; it sounded harsh even to him. But if she noticed, she didn't say anything. She seemed deep in her own thoughts.

"Elliot…"

The second his name came out of her mouth, Elliot tensed. He prepared himself for her rejection…he couldn't look at her. He looked down at the floor, thinking about how he was going to handle his shattered heart. Suddenly, he felt her hand on his arm.

"El?" she asked softly.

He looked back up at her and saw her smiling at him. "El. You know I love you. I have for so long. I'm sorry for what I said at lunch. I was just scared." She took her hand off his arm and took a step back from him. "I'm still scared but right now, when you were kissing me…" She took a deep breath. "God El…I wanted you to rip off my clothes…I wanted to rip of YOUR clothes…I've never wanted something so badly."

Elliot sucked in a breath, feeling a rush of blood to his groin and feeling slightly dizzy at the thoughts she was putting in his head…because he wanted that too. More than she could ever know. He swallowed hard. He couldn't believe she had just admitted that to him.

Olivia noticed Elliot's reaction and smiled. "I thought you might like that." she said. "I'd be lying if I said I never thought about it." She gave him a small mischievous smile. "And I'm assuming you'd be lying too if you said you hadn't had the same thoughts about me."

Elliot just nodded. He wasn't sure where this was going, but she seemed to be in a mood to share, and he wasn't going to interrupt her.

Olivia nodded along with him. "I want this. I want this just as much as you do." She smiled when Elliot let out an audible sigh. "But I meant it when I said I'm scared. You're my best friend…you're my partner…if things don't work out, I have nothing."

"Liv…things are going to work out." he started towards her.

Olivia held up a hand. "El… let me finish." she said and Elliot stopped. "We don't know what's going to happen; don't make promises that you don't know you can keep. All's I'm saying is that I want to take this slow. I can't jump into another..." She paused. She didn't want to bring up Jack Spencer again but the thought of it weighed heavily on her mind.

Elliot couldn't hold back any longer. He moved over to her and placed his hands on her waist. He placed a small kiss on her forehead. "Liv. I understand. We'll take it as slow as you want. I put all of the control in your hands. I'll follow your lead."

Olivia laughed. "That's a first! Elliot Stabler is giving me all the control?" She slapped him playfully on the chest. "We'll see how long that lasts."

Elliot grabbed her hands. "Liv. I'm serious. But if that's going to work, then you have to promise to be honest with me. That we'll be honest with each other."

"I know…but El, we don't have a good track record of sharing our feelings. That's part of the reason we're in this mess…or at least I'm in this mess. We've played these mental games with each other for so long…"

"I know. I know. I'm the worlds most closed off person." Elliot said.

"It's not just you El. I didn't exactly come out and tell you how I felt about you either. I just bottled it all up inside."

"Liv. We're done with that." He pulled her hands into his and held them against his chest. "I'm done hiding from this." He raised their clasped hands to his mouth and kissed her hand. "I love you. I want this to be forever. I want to marry you and have a family with you…"

Olivia gasped slightly. "El…let's not get ahead of ourselves."

"You don't want those things? You've never thought about us being a family?" Elliot watched her expression and knew that she had. He smiled. "I want to have a little girl that looks just like you."

"El." Olivia said softly. Of course she had thought about those things with Elliot. She had longed for a family of her own; and having that with Elliot was like a dream come true. And even though that was the case, she found herself starting to deny it. But before the words could leave her lips, she remembered their pact to be honest with each other. "And I would love a little boy with those icy blue Stabler eyes." She smiled up at him shyly.

Elliot's hands dropped to her waist and he pulled her close. "You know, we could start working on that now if you want." He ran his hands up her sides, running his fingers beneath her shirt and caressing the skin.

"El…"

Elliot sighed and pulled his hands out from under her shirt, resting them on her hips. "I know. We're taking it slowly." He smiled. "But is it against the rules if I make suggestions every once in a while?"

Olivia smirked at him. "I don't think I can probably stop you."

Elliot leaned in and gave her a kiss. Then he wrapped her in his arms, pulling her close. "Liv, I'm so happy right now. He nuzzled his face in her hair. "I love you."

Olivia wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly. "I love you too El." Olivia pulled back. "I can't believe you set this all up." She gestured around the room. "It's so beautiful."

"Anything for you. Like to said, I wanted to surprise you." His smiled left his face suddenly. "Shit!" His arms dropped and he rushed into the kitchen. Olivia followed him.

"What's wrong?" Olivia asked.

"Ah, dinner's ruined." He pulled a casserole dish out of the oven. "I wasn't paying attention to the time." He threw the dish on the stovetop. "Damn it."

Olivia peeked around him and looked at the dish on the stove. "I'm sorry. That's too bad. I was hungry too."

Elliot turned around to face her. "So much for my romantic dinner."

"It's fine El. Let's just order in. It will still be nice…the table is set so beautifully."

Elliot shrugged. "It's not really what I had planned but I guess we don't have much of a choice."

Olivia put her hand on Elliot's chest. "It's fine El." She rubbed her hand up and down his chest. "Do you care if I go take a shower before dinner gets here? You can pick whatever you want to order in."

Elliot nodded. "Sure, that's fine." But he couldn't get images of Olivia naked in the shower out of his mind. He wished that she was inviting him to join her…but he knew she wasn't. He would have to save that particular fantasy for some time in the future.

EOEOEOEOEO

Olivia came out of the bathroom about thirty minutes later and Elliot smiled when he saw her. Her hair was damp and curling around her head, and she didn't have any make-up on. She was wearing dark gray leggings and an oversized white, long sleeved t-shirt that came that feel just below her hips.

"Liv. You look gorgeous." Elliot said, meeting her as she walked across the room.

"El…" Olivia blushed slightly. She didn't know if she could get used to all of this 'honesty'; just being able to say things like that to each other was going to be strange for a while.

"What? I can't tell my girlfriend that she's absolutely, breathtakingly beautiful?"

"Girlfriend?" Olivia asked, a little surprise in her tone.

"I told you you're beautiful and the only word you heard is _girlfriend_?" Elliot asked.

"I just never thought about it…about what we are now. And girlfriend just sounds…"

Elliot cut her off. "Girlfriend doesn't begin to describe what you are to me…but what else should I call you?"

Olivia sighed. "I don't know El. How about you just call me Liv?" she laughed.

"OK Liv. Are you hungry?" He snagged her hand and led her over to the table. He pulled out her chair for her and Olivia smiled as she sat down. Elliot dished up their favorite Chinese food and sat down across from her. He poured some wine. He lifted up his glass. "A toast." Olivia lifted up her wineglass. "To a new beginning…"


	20. Chapter 20

_Thanks for your reviews! It seems like everyone is enjoying the story. Everyone has a different opinion of what should happen, but everyone agrees that they don't like Jack! We have a little more to get to but the wedding is coming up!_

EOEOEOEOEO

Despite the fact that they were eating takeout, Olivia was really enjoying dinner. She felt like a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders. The burden of her feelings for Elliot had always weighed heavily on her. First, when he was married, it was the effort of tamping down her feelings, trying to tell herself that they were just good friends. That their closeness was natural due to the nature of their jobs and the amount of time they were forced to spend together. That when she caught him staring at her, that when he accidentally brushed against her…she was reading more into it than it really was. Then, when he was divorced, it was the strain of wondering if he was going to confess his feelings for her. And as the months went by, she got more and more confused. She smiled to herself. Now the waiting was over. She looked up from her food and smiled at Elliot.

"What's that big smile for?" he asked.

Olivia shook her head. "Nothing. I was just thinking about how nice this is."

"We've had take-out together a million times Liv." Elliot said. "I'm really mad that I ruined dinner."

"El, I don't care about that." She gestured around the room. "I just can't believe that you did all of this. I never pegged you for a romantic."

"I guess I never would have considered myself a romantic either, but I had great motivation." Elliot took her hand in his. "I wanted to see you smile. Despite your badass reputation, I know there's a girlie side of you Olivia Benson. And I don't think you've probably had enough men in your life that treat you like you deserve to be treated."

Olivia raised her brow at him. "You have no idea…" The truth was that Olivia never really let any man get too close to her or let them see too much of the real Olivia Benson. The men she dated gave up after a while, and Olivia couldn't blame them. In reality, she always blamed Elliot for sabotaging her relationships, but she knew she did a little of that herself. No one ever measured up to Elliot.

"Well, I'm glad you were surprised and I'm glad you liked it." Elliot leaned back in his chair. "And now that I know you like the princess treatment…"

Olivia cocked her head. "I didn't say that. Let's not get carried away." Olivia was still a really practical person, and the idea of getting 'princess treatment' sounded to her like she needed someone to take care of her; and she didn't. "I don't mind a little TLC, but I don't need someone to wait on me hand and foot. I've been taking care of myself for a long time." She smiled.

"I want to take care of you; pamper you a little. Doesn't mean I don't think you can't take care of yourself." He gave a little laugh. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone and you can keep your badass persona."

"It's hard enough being a female cop, but then dealing with all of the pervs and sickos that we deal with, you know I can't be too much of a 'girl' around the precinct." Olivia made air quotes with her hands when she said girl. "But Badass Benson has a few ways of embracing her feminine side despite all of that."

Now it was Elliot's turn to raise an eyebrow at her. "I hate to tell you this Liv, but I don't think any man with breath in his body would ever fail to notice you're a woman." He leaned back towards the table. "I don't suppose you want to tell me how you embrace your feminine side among all of us horrible men." He wiggled his eyebrows at her.

Olivia gave him a small smile. She leaned in, putting her elbows on the table. "Well Detective, if you must know…" she paused, enjoying the look of anticipation on Elliot's face. "I have quite an extensive lingerie collection."

Elliot took in a deep breath and his head dropped back. "Liv…are you _trying_ to kill me?" If it was one thing Elliot didn't need, it was more images of Olivia in his head. The past few years had been torturous for him, lusting after his partner when he knew he couldn't do anything about it. And now they were moving ahead, but Olivia wanted to take it slowly. He had to respect that. But that didn't mean it wouldn't be hard.

"Hey, you asked." she laughed. She licked her bottom lip and looked over at him through her lowered lashes. Lowering her tone, she said. "Maybe someday I'll model it for you."

Elliot narrowed his eyes at her, her words and the tone of her voice sending a jolt through him and he held in a groan. He stood up and reached for her arm, pulling her out of her chair and causing her to stumble into him a little. He wrapped his arms loosely around her.

"You're a tease." he said, smiling at her.

"You asked!" she said, smiling back at him.

Elliot let out a small growl and kissed her, dropping his hands to her ass and pulling her against him. His hands roamed up her back as he kissed her, and Olivia melted into him, delving her tongue into Elliot's mouth. Elliot wanted to keep kissing her but he knew there would come a point when neither of them would be able to stop. And he wanted to respect her wish to take things slowly. He pulled away and leaned in, whispering into her ear. "I'm going to hold you to that."

He pulled away from her completely, and Olivia was a little disappointed. Even though she knew he was following her lead, it was going to be equally hard for her. She'd been having the same thoughts as Elliot.

Elliot started cleaning up the dishes, and Olivia helped him. As they were washing dishes side by side, Olivia couldn't help smiling. This domestic scene was never one she had imagined, at least not with Elliot. As if he could read her thoughts, Elliot bumped her hip with his. "This is nice."

Olivia laughed. "Yeah."

EOEOEOEOEOEOEO

When everything was cleaned up, they decided to watch a movie. Elliot was sitting on one end of the couch, and Olivia was stretched out with her feet on his lap. Elliot started massaging her feet. He pushed her leggings up and started massaging her lower legs too and Olivia couldn't believe that she was actually started to get aroused from this little bit of contact.

Olivia moaned and closed her eyes. "God El, that feels amazing." She squeezed her thighs together involuntarily but Elliot noticed.

"Do you want me to stop?"

"No." Olivia said in a husky voice and Elliot suppressed another groan. He pulled his hands off her legs and Olivia opened her eyes. "What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry." Elliot stood up and walked over to the window, staring out at the dark street below.

Olivia scrambled up so she was sitting on the couch, her legs tucked beneath her. "You're sorry for what?"

Elliot turned to look at her. He opened his mouth and shut it again.

"El…honesty. Remember?"

Elliot pursed his lips and nodded. "OK." He walked over and sat down on the other end of the couch facing her. "It's killing me to be able to touch you and kiss you, but to not…" he struggled with the words. "You don't know how much I want to make love to you." He looked down and then looked back up at her. "And it seems like you want the same thing."

"I do." Olivia leaned over slightly. "I really do. I've wanted you for so long El."

"But you said you wanted to take things slowly."

Olivia sighed. "Elliot." Now, it was Olivia' turn to stand up and walk over to the window. She braced her arms against the sill. "I just don't want to start this new relationship until I know that everything is OK." She turned back to Elliot. She didn't want to bring up the whole Jack Spencer mess again, but the reality was that it was still looming over her. "Melinda said I didn't pick anything from Jack; all my test results were negative." She paused. "I really wasn't worried about that, but I still have to confirm I'm not pregnant. AND if I'm not pregnant, I have to get back on birth control."

Elliot stood up and walked over to Olivia. He placed a hand on either side of her, caging her in with his body. He rested his chin on her shoulder and they both stared out the window for a moment.

"Olivia." Elliot said quietly. "I'm going to tell you this one more time, and I want you to listen to what I have to say. I love you. Everything else that's happened is in the past. If you're pregnant, we'll handle it. It's not like things are going to change between us because of it. We'll have a baby just a little earlier than planned." He placed a gentle kiss on her cheek. "I…am…not…going…anywhere." He said against her cheek, punctuating each word with his lips on her cheek. He ran his hands up and down her arms, and then rested them lightly at her waist.

Olivia turned around and looked up at him. "El." She put her hands on his chest. "I can't ask you to do that."

"Well, you're not asking me. I'm telling you." He leaned in and captured her lips. "I love you Liv. No matter what happens. And I'm pretty sure you feel the same way." He smiled at her.

Olivia nodded. "I do."

"Then let it go. We'll deal with whatever happens when it happens." He waggled his eyebrows at her. "Actually, I have a really good idea so we don't have to worry about this at all…" he pushed her body gently against the wall with his, keeping his hands on her waist. Olivia wrapped her arms around his neck. "Let me make love to you right now. "

"You have a one track mind." she said, smirking at him, but not pushing him away from her. "And that solves our problem how?"

"Well, I'm pretty good at making babies. If we have a baby nine months from now, I don't need a paternity test…"

Olivia was shocked at his suggestion. "What?" She dropped her arms and tried to push him back but he resisted. "That's crazy El."

He grabbed her hands. "Listen to me. You told me you wanted to take things slowly. And even though you told me that you're worried about things not working out and all that, I think the only real reason is because you're worried you're already pregnant. Right?"

Olivia opened her mouth and closed it again. She hated that Elliot knew her so well. She nodded.

Elliot smiled. "I _want_ to have a baby with you Liv. So why wait? Even if it turned out that this baby wasn't mine, it doesn't change you and me. And we know Jack doesn't want anything to do with this baby. So…we don't need to know."

"Elliot. I couldn't handle that. I would always wonder." Olivia said. "Wouldn't you?" She saw the look of disappointment on Elliot's face. She couldn't believe what he had proposed. It was something she wouldn't have every expected from him; from anyone, for that matter. But she knew that not knowing would drive her absolutely crazy. Maybe because of all of the issues with her father. "I'm sorry. That was so sweet but it would always be in the back of my mind. I don't want to start our relationship like that." She cupped his face with her hands. "Listen. I'm going to take another test on Friday. Melinda says that the test should be conclusive at that point. It's just a few more days."

Elliot nodded.

"I appreciate what you said. I really do. I just can't do things that way." She gave him a quick kiss. "I'm pretty sure it will be negative but I just have to know for sure."

Elliot rubbed his hands up and down her sides. "But you believe what I said, right? That no matter what, I'm here to stay?"

Olivia nodded. "I believe you."

Elliot slipped his hands down over her hips and back up again, taking her shirt with it. He slid his hands on the skin at her waist, rubbing his fingers against her skin. He leaned in and placed a kiss on her neck. "So, you're going to see Melinda on Friday?" he asked.

Olivia leaned her had back and sighed as Elliot continued to place kisses on her neck. "Yeah."

"So, do we have plans Friday night?"

Olivia moaned as Elliot found a particularly sensitive spot on her neck and kept sucking and kissing that spot. "Mmmmm"

"Is that a yes?" Elliot murmured against her neck.

"Yes." she said softly.

"Good. I want to see some of that lingerie." he said, capturing her lips with his once again.


	21. Chapter 21

_So many people want it to be Friday already! So glad you are hooked on this story. I knew I had to give an update, so sorry that this is a short chapter. So much left to come. The dreaded blood test, the bachelor/bachelorette party and the wedding itself. So we may make big leaps of time. Please continue to leave reviews. I love to hear what you're thinking._

EOEOEOEOEO

Friday morning finally came and Olivia was extremely nervous. She hadn't slept very well, and had kept Elliot awake with all of her tossing and turning. Despite her better judgment, she had let him stay with her and she had finally drifted to sleep sometime after 3AM. When her alarm went off at 6AM, Elliot was draped over her back, one leg tucked into between hers, and his arm around her waist. He didn't move, even when she reached over to silence the alarm. She was surprised at that, because they had both spent a lifetime of getting woken in the middle of the night by ringing phones.

She reached down and rubbed his arm gently. "El."

He grumbled something and tightened his arm around her, pulling her body closer to his and nuzzling his face in her hair. "Hmmm." He started to massage the skin at her waist with his hand.

"Elliot." She pulled on his arm. "I have to get up. I have to go to meet Melinda before work."

"Just one more minute." he mumbled, rocking his body against hers. Olivia's breath hitched as he pressed the lower half of his body into hers. There was no mistaking his desire for her, and if he didn't stop pressing into her like that and moving his hand lower on her stomach, she was going to turn around and attack him then and there.

"El!" she said, pulling away from him and he groaned at the loss of contact. She sat up and turned around to look at him.

"I was having a great dream." he said, opening his eyes and giving her a wicked grin. "Oh, wait, maybe that wasn't a dream."

She slapped him lightly on the chest. "Don't make me sorry I let you stay overnight." She still couldn't believe she had let him stay. She never thought they'd be able to sleep in the same bed and keep it plutonic. But he had talked her into it, and had managed to keep his hands to himself; well, mostly to himself. She smiled.

"You don't want me to be late, do you?" The past few days had been the longest they could remember, and Olivia was anxious to get this stupid test done. She wanted to move on, one way or the other. Not knowing was killing her.

Elliot nodded. "Do you want me to go with you?" he asked.

Olivia furrowed her brow. "To get blood drawn? I think I can handle it." she said.

"I meant more for moral support." Elliot said, rolling his eyes at her.

Olivia bit her bottom lip, thinking about it. "No. I think I'd rather do this alone."

EOEOEOEOEO

Elliot dropped Olivia off at the M.E.'s office. "Do you want me to wait?"

Olivia shook her head. "No. I'll just meet you at the house." She started to get out of the car and Elliot grabbed her arm.

"Remember Liv, no matter what. I'm not going anywhere." He smiled, rubbing her arm.

Olivia pressed her lips together and nodded, looking into his icy blue eyes. "I know." She got out of the car and headed in to find Melinda. She found her in her office and Olivia shut the door.

"Good morning Liv." said Melinda.

Olivia gave her a small smile. "Good morning." She swallowed hard. "I appreciate you doing this."

Melinda nodded. "No problem Liv. Are you ready?"

Olivia took a deep breath. In the matter of minutes, her life could change completely and she actually wasn't sure if she was ready. She thought about Elliot and what he had said. She tried to find comfort in it, but in reality, she knew that if she was pregnant with Jack's child, it wouldn't be as easy as Elliot claimed it would be. She nodded. "I guess."

Melinda came around the desk, and Olivia rolled up her sleeve. Melinda pulled on some latex gloves, tied the tourniquet and pulled out a syringe. She drew some blood from Olivia's arm and then placed a cotton ball and a piece of medical tape over the puncture. "I'll be back in a few minutes. Hold tight."

As soon as Melinda left, Olivia stood up and started pacing around the room. She kept looking at her watch, and it seemed time was moving agonizingly slow. A million thoughts were running through her mind and she tried desperately to think of something else; anything else. But her mind kept straying back to the same topic. Finally, she heard the door open behind her and Melinda walked back into her office. Olivia looked at her, a nervous tremor running through her body.

"I won't keep you suspense Liv. The test was negative."

Olivia let go of the breath she'd been holding, and bent over at the waist, resting her hands on her knees, taking deep breathes. She felt a few tears brimming on her lower lashes, and one managed to escape and run down her cheek. Melinda rushed over to her and put a hand on her back. "Are you OK?"

Olivia nodded. "Oh…Oh…" She couldn't even speak. She hadn't even realized how much she had been dreading Melinda's diagnosis, but now that she heard her say the words, she couldn't believe it. This meant so much; it meant a future with Elliot. She was still bent over, trying not to hyperventilate, but she managed to rasp out "How sure?"

"100% Liv. If you were pregnant, we see some of the pregnancy hormones in your blood by now."

Olivia stood up and wrapped her arms around Melinda. "Thank you so much."

Melinda hugged her back, rubbing her hands up and down Olivia's back. "You're welcome."

Olivia pulled back and swiped at the few tears that had spilled down her cheeks. Melinda moved over to her desk.

"Liv, I just have to say that I'm happy this all turned out OK, but you could have prevented all of this drama…" she started to lecture Olivia.

"Mel. I know. I was stupid. It won't happen again."

Melinda looked at her pointedly. "I hope not. You're smarter than that. But anytime I can help, you know I'm here for you."

Olivia smiled. "I appreciate that. I really do." She headed for the door. "I have to get to work. Bye."

EOEOEOEOEO

When Olivia walked out of the M.E.'s building, she saw the sedan still parked in front of the building. She saw Elliot leaning up against the car, a coffee cup in his hand and another sitting on the roof of the car. He didn't see her come out at first, and she noticed he had an apprehensive look on his face. She knew he was worried about her and her reaction if it turned out that she was pregnant. He looked up and saw her and his eyes lit up when he saw the big smile on her face. She seemed 'lighter' overall, and he could tell she was really happy. He broke into a broad grin as she approached.

"So? I take it from that big smile that you got good news?"

Olivia nodded. "The best news." She wanted to reach out and grab him; wrap her arms around him and kiss him, and she could tell he wanted to do the same. But she knew she couldn't. There were too many people they worked with that could be in the area.

His eyes twinkled. "I'm happy that you're happy Liv." he said. And then because he couldn't stop himself, he reached out and pulled her into an awkward hug, still holding his coffee cup in his hand.

"El!" Olivia said, pushing back a little. "Not here."

Elliot whispered in her ear. "I can't help it. I just had to give you a hug." He let go and she pulled away, still smiling. He handed her a cup of coffee. "Here you go. A celebratory coffee."

She took the coffee from him. "Thanks. But what are you doing here? I told you didn't need to wait."

"I know. But I figured either you were going to be really upset or really happy, and I wanted to be here for either one. I didn't want you to have to hop into a cab."

"You're too much." she said. But inside, she was thinking that she was happy that he had stayed, because he was right. Either way, she had wanted to share the news with him as soon as possible. They both got into the car and headed for the station.

"So, let's talk about tonight. What, exactly, are you going to be modeling for me?" he asked, and Olivia laughed.

"Wow, it didn't take long for you to bring that up again."

"Did you think I was going to forget?" he asked.

Olivia shook her head as they pulled up to the precinct. "No." Olivia said as got out and leaned over into the car, making sure Elliot got a generous look at her cleavage. She gave him a sultry look. "But I figured you might be happier if I didn't bother with any clothes." Elliot felt a jolt run through him as she slammed the door, and he took a deep breath. He had really been looking forward to tonight already, but he could see now that Olivia was in a playful mood and his imagination started to run wild. He groaned because he knew that without a doubt, this was going to be the longest day ever.


	22. Chapter 22

_Thanks for hanging in there. I was giving some updates to my story "Choices" but now I am getting back to this story! I love all of your comments!_

Olivia sat at her desk, and she couldn't stop smiling. She was so happy about the results of her test. Despite everything Elliot had said and her desire to have a baby, she didn't want it to happen like this. She smiled again when she thought about Elliot's comments. She had certainly entertained the idea of a life with him; dreamed about it in her weaker moments. In her dreams, both at night and during the day, she had allowed herself to imagine being married and having a family. But it had been just that…a dream that she indulged in every once in a while. She never imagined it could come true. When Elliot had told her he loved her, she was ecstatic, but she hadn't allowed herself to think about what that meant. She didn't have a lot of experience with things working out in her favor, and she didn't want to get her hopes up. She had decided to move cautiously and to not expect too much. At least not for the long term. At least that's what she told herself. But when Elliot had brought up the subject of a baby…and nine months from now…she felt a shred of hope break through her resolve. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that the idea of that didn't even seem to faze him. So that must mean that he had thought about it before too. She looked up, and saw that he was staring at her. She gave him a secretive smile and looked back down at the file on her desk, trying to focus on the work in front of her.

Elliot watched Olivia from across their desks. She was deep in thought about something and she had a small smile on her face. He loved watching her in these unguarded moments, and he was wondering what thoughts were running through her mind. He knew she was happy about the test results, and she certainly seemed happy about what that meant for their relationship. Elliot had seen the change in her mood; the teasing as she got out of the car. When she had leaned over and rasped those words, Elliot realized there was a whole side to Olivia that he didn't know. Sure, they had kissed and had a few tender moments, but it was different then. She was still worried about the potential pregnancy and everything else. But when she got out of the car this morning…that change in her mood and behavior made him realize that there was a sexy, sultry side to Olivia that he had not been privy too…that she had carefully kept under wraps around him. It both intrigued and scared him a little. He thought he knew her; had seen every side of her, but obviously he didn't. And their relationship had always been a bit of a power struggle; pushing and pulling with their strong wills and their need to dominate and show no weakness. He found himself wondering how that was going to translate in a sexual relationship. In his mind, he had seen it going both ways. There were times he dreamed of making love to her; a slow and sensual lovemaking that allowed him to take his time…to learn her body with his hands and his mouth. But other times, he imagined it would be more primal…the intensity of their need and desire…their need to dominate and control… making it fast and wild.

Now it was his turn to look up and catch her staring at him. She was tapping her pen on her bottom lip, pausing every once in a while and rolling it there and that drove him absolutely insane when she did that. He shook his head at her. "What?"

"Are you getting any work done over there?" she asked, motioning at his pile of paperwork. "It looks to me like you're just goofing off."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Just worry about your own stack of work. I'll get mine done."

Fin and Munch walked into the squad room as they squabbled, and sat down at their desks.

"Good morning children." said Munch. "How is everyone doing on this Friday morning?"

Olivia smiled at him. "Great!" she said with a little more enthusiasm then she intended and Munch raised an eyebrow at her.

"And to what do we owe that?" he asked. "Get a little last night?"

Olivia laughed. "John!" she said, with a scolding tone.

"Shut up." said Elliot, scowling at him.

"You're just bent out of shape because it isn't you." said Fin. He loved giving Elliot a hard time about Olivia.

"It isn't _anybody_." said Olivia. "Can't I just be in a good mood?"

"No!" said Fin and Munch simultaneously and everyone laughed, even Elliot.

Casey walked into the squad room and made a beeline for Olivia's desk. She put her hand on her upper arm and practically pulled her out of her chair. "Can I talk to you for a minute Liv?"

Olivia got up and headed upstairs, following Casey up to the break area. She remembered that she forgot to let Casey know about the test results and that her friend would be anxiously waiting for an update.

"So?" she said, as she turned to face Olivia.

"Negative." said Olivia. "I'm not pregnant."

Casey let out a huge sigh of relief. "Oh God Liv. That's great." She gave Olivia a big hug. She stepped back. "You're OK with that, right?" She knew Olivia wanted to have a baby, but she was pretty sure she didn't want to have Jack's baby.

"Yes! Of course! I didn't want this…not now and not this way." she said, leaning back against the table.

"So now what?" asked Casey.

"What do you mean?" Olivia asked.

Casey rolled her eyes. "You and Elliot. What happens now?"

Olivia shrugged her shoulders. She wasn't ready to fill Casey in on everything that had transpired between them. "We'll see."

"Liv." Casey started.

"Just drop it OK? Can I just be happy for one minute before I take on some other drama?" she said, trying to steer Casey off the subject with guilt.

"Sorry Liv." She said, genuinely sorry. She turned back towards the stairs. "I have to get going anyway. I'll talk to you soon." she waved as she trotted down the stairs.

Olivia followed her down the stairs and sat back down at her desk. She saw Elliot staring at her again.

"What was that about?" he asked.

"Nothing." she said, turning back to the files on her desk.

"Hmm." Elliot said. He was almost certain that Olivia told Casey pretty much everything, so he was wondering what she had told her about the two of them. He looked back down at his paperwork and picked up a pen, jotting down his notes. But his mind kept wandering back to Olivia and that look she had given him in the car. He thought about kissing her in her kitchen the other night; about his hands on her body. He wanted her so much…he had for so long. He stopped writing. But how was this going to work tonight? Did they really make a 'date' to have sex? They would go back to her apartment and what? Just put their stuff down and crawl into bed? He couldn't picture it. It felt odd to him to plan something like that; it should just happen naturally. In every scenario that had played in his mind, it had been spontaneous. Now it felt like an item to check off the list.

He shook his head. What was _wrong _with him? He had wanted to make love to Olivia for as long as he could remember; and now he was questioning how it was going to happen? Why did he care? He put his pen down and looked over at her, absorbed in what she was doing. He cared because he loved her. He cared because he wanted it to be special. He wanted to please her…in every possible way. And then a whole new set of nerves set in. Elliot had only ever made love to one woman…Kathy. And their sex life was fine, but Kathy wasn't very adventurous in the bedroom. Olivia, on the other hand, had been with several men. He didn't know how many and he didn't want to know, but the bottom line was that she was more experienced than he was and suddenly he felt like he was in over his head. She was this amazingly beautiful woman and he felt way out of his league. What if he couldn't please her? What if the chemistry they felt wasn't enough? Elliot leaned back in his chair and let out a big sigh, drawing Olivia's attention. She gave him a little smile.

"Something wrong over there?" she said, raising an eyebrow. "Getting frustrated?"

The double entrendre wasn't lost on him. He was frustrated; frustrated with himself. Where were these nerves coming from? This wasn't him. He had finally got what he wanted…what he had dreamed about, and now he was questioning if he was up to it? He had to get over himself. This was not him…and he couldn't believe he was feeling this way. He scrubbed his hands over his face and stood up. "Can I talk to you?" he said, motioning towards the cribs. "In private?"

Olivia smirked. She wasn't sure what 'talking' he wanted to do, but she was up for it. She followed him into the cribs, close on his heels. When they got in the room, he shut the door and turned to look at her.

She stayed in place and he looked at her, not saying anything. She raised an eyebrow at him. "What's up?" She could tell something was bothering him.

"Umm." He paused and looked away from her.

"Complete honesty El. Tell me… what's wrong?" she said, moving towards him but stopping before she touched him.

He turned back to her. "So I'm just wondering about tonight."

"Oh…you're talking about the comment I made getting out of the car?" she laughed. "I was just kidding El…you can even pick something out if you'd like."

Elliot raised an eyebrow. "So, just like that. We're going to walk into your apartment and we're going to put our guns and badges down and then I'm going to dig through your underwear and find something I like and you're going to put it on and then we're going to have sex."

Olivia gave him a thin lipped smile. "Well, it doesn't sound very romantic when you put it like that."

"Exactly." said Elliot.

"Elliot. It's not going to be like that." she said, giving him a small smile and putting her hand on his arm.

"It's going to be exactly like that." he said.

"So what are you saying?" Olivia took a step back. "You don't want to have sex with me? Because it certainly seems like you do…like you did."

"It's not that Liv. That's crazy. Of course I do…I just…" he let out another sigh. "I just want it to be romantic and spontaneous…not planned out. And I feel like we should…" his voice trailed off.

"We should what?" Olivia asked.

"We haven't even been on a date or anything."

Olivia stifled a small laugh. Sometimes Elliot was such a good Catholic boy. There was an order to everything and apparently they weren't following the script.

"El, I don't need you to buy me dinner for us to have sex. I hate to break it to you, but I've had sex with men that haven't even bought me a drink." She cringed after she said that because he really didn't need to know that. She reached up and ran her hand up his arm again. "Elliot, I appreciate what you're saying, but it's not like we don't know each other…we've been together for 7 years. We're both adults and we want the same thing." She put her other hand on his other arm and took a step closer. "But I do understand what you're saying. I do. And I didn't really envision walking in the door and just getting to it…I had hoped for something a little more romantic too. But I don't honestly think it's going to be like that."

Elliot leaned in and gave her a quick kiss. "How about you let me take you out to dinner and then we'll just see what happens?"

Olivia shook her head and smiled. "Sometimes you're ridiculous El. But I can go along with that plan." She leaned in and gave him a quick kiss. "Now we'd better get back to work before people start talking." she paused. "More than they already do."


	23. Chapter 23

Olivia and Elliot walked back into the squad room and reclaimed their seats at their desks. Olivia looked across at Elliot as he buried himself in his paperwork. She was thinking about what he'd said in the cribs and she was having a hard time reconciling what he said with the man she knew. Elliot had an ego that didn't quit and was definitely a take charge person. Now that they had finally admitted their feelings for each other, she hadn't envisioned anything restraining them from taking things to their inevitable conclusion, and quickly. Especially Elliot. So she couldn't understand his apparent hesitancy now. She didn't share his concerns and frankly, was annoyed as hell. She had waited a long time for this and she decided right then and there that this night was going to end with Elliot in her bed.

Elliot looked up at her and saw she was staring at him. She gave him a small smile and then looked back down at her files. She was pretty certain she could figure out a few ways to drive the poor man crazy today and push him over the edge. She stood up and walked over to the coffee machine, putting a little extra sway in her step; she knew Elliot would have his eyes on her. She poured herself a cup of coffee and then turned around, smiling when she saw that Elliot was looking at her. "El, do you need a refill?" she asked.

Elliot picked up his cup and saw it was empty. "Sure."

Olivia grabbed a clean mug and poured some coffee for him. She walked over and handed it to him, setting her mug down in the process. She moved so she was standing next to him and leaned in, as if she were looking at the file on his desk. As she leaned in, she brushed his arm with her breast and she felt him jolt at the contact. "Need any help with anything?" she asked, her breast still resting against his upper arm. She didn't look at him, keeping her focus on the paperwork on his desk. He hesitated a moment and then moved back slowly, removing the contact between them.

"No. I don't think so." He said.

Olivia took a look at him then and saw he had narrowed his eyes, questioning her. She smiled and stood up. "OK." She walked back to her desk and sat back down. She looked over at Fin and Munch and saw they weren't paying any attention. She gave him a sultry look, and then pulled her bottom lip in with her teeth before going back to work on her files.

Elliot continued to stare at her after she had gone back to work. He watched as she continued to bite her bottom lip as she was paging through the file in front of her. He wondered if she knew that her doing that drove him crazy. He let out a sigh and saw Olivia smile without looking up at him. He narrowed his eyes again…that smile meant she knew exactly what she was doing.

The next couple of hours passed by and Olivia closed the last file on her desk. She sat back in her chair and said triumphantly "Done."

Munch looked over at her. "What do you mean done?"

"I am caught up on all of my paperwork. I can't remember when that's happened before."

"That means drinks are on you tonight." Said Fin.

"We're going out for drinks?" asked Olivia.

"We are now." Said Fin. "And you can't say no because you're buyin'."

Olivia looked over at Elliot and raised her eyebrows. He shrugged his shoulders. "If you're buying, I'll go for one drink."

Olivia smiled. "Sounds good." She knew that Elliot had wanted to go out for dinner, but one drink wouldn't kill them. In fact, a few drinks might be just the thing to loosen him up.

Olivia looked at the clock and saw it was almost noon. "Um. I have to run an errand at lunch." She said, standing up and gathering her things. "I'll be back."

Olivia hailed a cab and got to her apartment in about ten minutes. She hadn't really given a thought to her attire this morning; she had been too focused on the pregnancy test. But now that she was thinking about what she was planning on tonight, she wanted to change. She stripped off her clothes and her underwear and looked through her options in her underwear drawer. She found a matching bra and thong she liked and put them on. She reapplied her favorite lotion on her legs and body and then got redressed again. She looked around her bedroom, making sure everything was picked up and put away. She did the same in the bathroom, and then in the rest of her apartment. Satisfied, she headed back to the precinct. On her way back, she saw she had a message from Casey, asking if she was going out for drinks tonight, so Olivia messaged her back and filled her in on the plans.

When Olivia got back to the squad room, Elliot wasn't at his desk. She looked over at Fin. "Where's El?"

Fin looked over at his desk and shrugged his shoulders. "Not my day to watch him." He said and Olivia rolled her eyes. She headed to the locker room and heard him grumbling as soon as she walked in. He had his back to her and was standing at his locker with his back to her. Olivia hesitated in the doorway, watching the muscles ripple across his back as he pulled his shirt from his body. She walked up quietly behind him and ran her hand down his back, causing him to jump and almost crash into the locker.

"What the hell?" he yelled as he turned around and saw her standing there, a small smirk on her face. He took a deep breath. "Jesus Liv. You scared me."

"Who did you think it was?" she said. "Do you have a lot of people groping you in the locker room?" she asked, laughing as she moved towards him. She splayed her hand on his chest and sighed. She had seen Elliot without a shirt many times but she had never been able to touch him.

"What are you doing?" Elliot said, furrowing his brow.

Olivia laughed. "What does it look like I'm doing?" she said, pushing him lightly so he took a step back, his back now flush up against the lockers. She ran her hand across his chest and Elliot brought his hand up to grab hers, holding it against him.

"Liv."

Olivia raised an eyebrow at him. "Yes?" she said, lowering her tone. She took a step closer to him and brought up her other hand and placed it on his shoulder. She ran her hand across his shoulder, and then leaned in and kissed him on his collarbone. His body jolted slightly as her lips touched his skin and she smiled. He reached up with his other hand and put it on her shoulder. He pulled her in to his body and buried his face in her hair, inhaling deeply.

"Liv. Don't."

With her body pulled close to his, Olivia's face was flush with his neck and she placed a kiss on his neck. "Don't what?" she whispered, placing a couple more gentle kisses along his neck.

Elliot moved abruptly, whipping her around and pushing her back against the lockers, pinning her wrists near her head with his hands. "Don't start something we can't finish." He said. He leaned in and captured her lips with his, smashing her body against the lockers with his. Olivia grunted when she felt his hips meet hers. He pulled his lips from hers and leaned in. "Don't think I don't know what you're doing."

"What am I doing Elliot?" she whispered into his ear, and she felt him shudder against her.

"Liv, I never said I didn't want you…" he captured her lips again and ran his tongue along her lips, forcing her mouth open. He pushed his groin into her as his tongue delved into her mouth and she felt a rush of heat as he devoured her mouth. She pushed her wrists against his hands, wanting to free them and wrap her arms around him, but he held them in place. He tore his lips from hers and stepped back, releasing her wrists. She almost stumbled forward from the lack of contact. He narrowed his eyes at her and took a deep breath. "I think you misunderstood what I said earlier. You know I want you Liv..." He looked at her swollen lips and he wanted nothing more than to keep kissing her. He wanted to run his hands over her body and take her against the lockers…hard. He took another deep breath. "Liv…I want to be gentle with you…I want to make love to you…but when I kiss you I..." He let out a sigh and ran his hands over his face.

"You what?" she said, a taunt in her eyes.

"I'm afraid I'm not going to be able to control myself."

Olivia took a step towards him. She pulled her bottom lip in between her teeth and released it. "Maybe I don't want you to control yourself El."

It came out as a low, husky whisper and Elliot felt a rush of heat to his groin and he fisted his hands. What he had tried to convey this morning was that he wanted it to be romantic; he didn't want to act like some horny teen-aged boy getting some for the first time. He was trying to have some self control…he meant what he said about making love to her. Bu this woman…she was driving him all kinds of insane and he knew then that any idea of taking it slow was out the window. There was too much want pent up between them.

"God Liv." He took a step back because all he could think about right now was pushing her up against the lockers and running his hands over those curves. He put his hand to his face and ran his fingers over his mouth, trying to regain some control over his body. He looked at her and said. "We're going to go get a drink after work and then you're mine." He took another deep breath.

Olivia smiled. This was the Elliot she knew. She walked toward him, a small smile playing on her lips. "I like that plan." She ran her fingertips across the top of her breasts. "I went home at lunch and picked something that I thought you might like." She ran her finger under the neckline of her shirt, pulling it down slightly as she ran her finger back and forth, giving Elliot a view of black lace, and he groaned. In his mind, he could picture that black lace clad breast beneath his hand and he felt his dick twitch at the thought. He grabbed her hand and was about to say something when they heard someone coming. Olivia quickly took a step back and Elliot took a step back towards his locker when they saw Fin come in.

"Hey, Cap'n is looking for you two. He sent me to find you." Fin said, giving them a suspicious look.

Olivia smiled. "We're just headed back down." She turned back to Elliot and saw he was pulling a clean shirt out of his locker. "I'll tell him you're coming."

EOEOEOEOEO

When they got to the Captain's office, they saw Casey was there and she was giving some updates on one of their cases going to trial. When they were finished, they all walked out of the Captain's office.

"You're still going for drinks, right?" asked Casey.

Olivia looked at her watch. "Yep. Cap'n said we can leave early today so we're leaving around 4."

"OK, I don't know if I can be there that early but I'll try." She headed out the door and Olivia sat back down at her desk, sighing. It seemed like this day would never end. She looked over at Elliot and saw he was smiling at her.

"Frustrated?" he said, smiling as he threw her earlier comment to him back at her. She glared at him but then stood up and leaned over, snagging a file off his desk. Now it was his turn to glare as she gave him a great view as she leaned over farther than necessary.

"Not at all." She said, smiling as she sat back down.

EOEOEOEOEO

They all sat around the table at the favorite bar, thankful that another week had ended. Olivia was just happy that she and Elliot weren't on call this weekend. She had bought the first round of drinks and they were almost ready for their second when Casey finally showed up. She sat in the open seat between Elliot and Munch and Elliot waved the waitress over. They all ordered another round of beers when Casey chimed in. "Let's get a round of shots."

Elliot shook his head. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Lighten up." Said Casey.

Olivia laughed. "Yeah, lighten up El." She said, and placed her hand on his thigh, squeezing gently. Elliot jumped in his seat slightly and Casey gave him a funny look. Olivia removed her hand from his thigh and Elliot shot her a dirty look.

"Fine. But don't make it any of those girly shots."

"Girly shots?"

"Yeah, none of that flavored liqueur crap."

"Five shots of tequila." Casey told the waitress. "Is that manly enough for you Stabler?" Casey punched him lightly in the arm.

When the shots came they all downed them and they were all laughing and talking and having a good time. They had all started in on their third beer and Olivia noticed that Elliot was almost finished with his. She was hoping they could make their excuses and get out of there pretty soon. Olivia started to stand, and excused herself. "I have to go to the bathroom." She said. "Be right back."

She headed off to the bathroom and Elliot watched her go. As usual, several men in the bar were checking her out as she walked across the room and Elliot shook his head and grunted in disgust.

"What's your problem man?" asked Fin.

"All those guys checking out Liv as she walks by. Pigs." Elliot said.

"How is that different than you watching her all the time?" Fin asked, laughing. He liked giving Elliot a hard time. "Hey man, Liv's a beautiful woman. That's what guys do."

Elliot ignored him and took a drink of his beer. He saw Olivia walk out of the bathroom, and almost immediately, some guy walked up to her and started talking to her. She stopped and smiled as she was talking to him and Elliot's eyes narrowed. Was she trying to piss him off? He saw her put her hand on the guy's arm and laugh and he was out of his seat in a shot, startling Casey so much that she spilled her beer. "What the hell Stabler?" she said, her eyes following him as he got up. When she saw him make a beeline for Olivia she groaned. "Oh jeez." She knew Elliot wasn't drunk, but he had been drinking so Lord know what was going to happen.

Elliot strode up to them quickly, startling Olivia as he grabbed her arm. "Elliot!" she cried out, surprised by his actions.

"It's time to go." He said, tugging at her arm slightly.

"El, don't be rude." Olivia said, pulling her arm out of his grasp. "Don't you remember Danny Erickson from the 2-2? He helped us on the Jackson case?"

Elliot narrowed his eyes, trying to remember. And then he did remember. He remembered this young detective had been friendly; bordering on a little too friendly with Olivia. "Yeah…I remember. Good to see you." He grabbed Olivia's arm again. "Sorry, but we have to get going." He pushed Olivia towards the restrooms again and she shot an apologetic look at Danny.

"Nice to see you again." She said as Elliot pushed her down the hallway and out the back door, dumping them into the alley behind the bar.

"Elliot, what the fuck are you doing?" she asked.

"I could ask you the same thing." He said. He pushed her up against the wall. "Why were you flirting with that guy? I was _right_ there."

"I wasn't flirting. God Elliot, I was just _talking _to him." Olivia said, pushing back against him with her hands as he crowded her against the wall. "I can't talk to anyone?"

Elliot pushed her against the wall with his body. He leaned in and whispered into her ear. "You're mine Liv. Remember that. Other guys want you but they don't get to have you. Mine."

Olivia's breath caught as she heard Elliot's words. She was used to his possessiveness when it came to her, but this was something else; something darker. She swallowed hard. It wasn't like her to let someone control her like this but this was Elliot…she wanted him and she didn't know why, but she wanted him to take control. Instead of being angry, she found herself getting aroused by his words and his behavior.

He held her upper arms with his hands and pressed his body against hers, hard against the brick alley wall. He captured her lips with a crushing kiss, forcing his tongue into her mouth. Olivia started to snake her arms around his waist but he grabbed her wrists as he pulled away from the kiss. "We're going home." He said, backing away from her. "Now."


	24. Chapter 24

_Sorry for the long time between updates. I need to pick one of my stories and finish it up; keeping multiple stories going PLUS reading all the other great fanfics out there takes so much time! This story has been so hard to write. There is always so much push and pull between these two. I know Elliot wants to pamper Olivia and take things slow with her…but every time they get going things seem to escalate. It seems sometimes like these stories write themselves and I have no control over what comes out on the page! Thanks for your reviews. It lets me know if I'm on the right track or not._

**From the end of the last chapter:**

**He held her upper arms with his hands and pressed his body against hers, hard against the brick alley wall. He captured her lips with a crushing kiss, forcing his tongue into her mouth. Olivia started to snake her arms around his waist but he grabbed her wrists as he pulled away from the kiss. "We're going home." He said, backing away from her. "Now."**

EOEOEOEOEOEOEO

Elliot grabbed her hand and started pulling her down the alley. She pushed at his hand on her wrist.

"Elliot. Wait. My stuff is inside." She dug her heels in, forcing him to stop. "We can't just leave without saying goodbye. Everyone will wonder where the hell we went."

Elliot let out a heavy sigh. "Fine. But we're not staying." He had reached his breaking point. He wanted to get Olivia home now. There were no more thoughts of taking it slowly; he wanted her badly and his restraint was gone. She had done her damnedest to drive him crazy with want today and she had succeeded. If she wasn't concerned about romance, then neither was he. That could come later.

He let go of her and followed her back into the bar. When they got to the table, Casey grabbed her arm, pulling her into the chair next to her. "Is everything OK?" she whispered, noting the look of annoyance on Elliot's face.

"Yes, it's fine."

"I saw him drag you outside. I wasn't sure if I should send Fin or Munch outside. Elliot looked pissed and I was worried."

Olivia shot Casey a dirty look. "Elliot wouldn't hurt me." She said.

Casey sighed. "I know…but. He looked _really _pissed."

Olivia looked over at Elliot, who had sat down but was still staring at her. She knew he was wondering why she had sat down because he had made it clear they were _not_ staying.

"It's fine Casey." She picked up her beer from in front of Elliot, since he was now sitting in what had been her seat. She took a sip and the waitress came around, asking if they were ready for another round.

"No." said Elliot. "We're leaving."

Casey raised an eyebrow, looking at Olivia.

"But it's still early." Said Fin. "We just got here." In reality, they had already been there a couple of hours, but it _was_ still early. After all, they had left the precinct a little after 4.

"Yeah El, it's still early." said Olivia. She wasn't quite sure why she'd said it; she knew it would set Elliot off. She wanted him as much as he seemed to want her. And that was exactly what her intent had been since she found out she wasn't pregnant this morning. Maybe she just wanted to see how far she could push him because there was a part of her that liked seeing that side of Elliot; that dark, possessive side she'd seen today. She saw his eyes narrow and she swallowed.

She turned to the waitress. "I'll have another one." She said and she heard Elliot let out an exasperated sigh. She was pushing him close to the edge and she knew it; and he knew it too.

"You want to get drunk Olivia?" he asked, a challenge in his tone. "Then let's get drunk." He turned to the waitress. "Five more tequila shots." He said, looking back at her, a dare in his eyes. He didn't know what game she was playing, but if she wanted to play…

Casey looked back and forth between Elliot and Olivia. She wasn't sure what was going on, but she knew it was best to stay out of it.

Olivia looked back at him when she heard him order the shots and now it was her turn to glare back at him. _What the fuck?_ She didn't want to get drunk. She had just been pushing him a little; getting him worked up. She also hadn't wanted to rush back in and make a hasty exit, making everyone else question where they were going in such a rush.

She stood up. "El, maybe we should get going. I don't want a shot." She said, just as the waitress delivered the shots to the table.

"I'm not in any rush Liv. Just have a shot." He said, giving her a sly smile. "It's still early." He picked up the shot and downed it quickly and Olivia narrowed her eyes at him. She picked up a shot glass and downed her shot quickly, slamming the glass down on the table.

Fin, Munch and Casey all looked at them. It appeared there was another battle of wills going on between Elliot and Olivia and they all knew there was nothing they could do to prevent the fight that was bound to come.

Fin waved the waitress over. "Can you bring some more beers?" he said. He settled back in his seat and shook his head, watching Olivia and Elliot stare each other down.

Munch reached for one of the shots but Elliot shot him a dirty look. Elliot picked up a shot glass and Olivia quickly grabbed one as well. They both brought the shot glass to their lips at the same time and downed the shot, Elliot's shot glass hitting the table a fraction of a second before Olivia's.

Casey put a hand on Olivia's shoulder. "Liv. Slow down." She said with an uneasy tone. It was just a little after 6 and at this rate, they were going to get wasted. They didn't usually drink like this. She could tell there was a lot of tension between Elliot and Olivia with the way they were staring at each other across the table, and alcohol was not going to help. She looked over at Fin and Munch and they both just shrugged. She sighed…they were going to leave this to her. She looped her arm through Olivia's and tried to pull her back from the table but Olivia shot her a dirty look.

"Casey." Olivia said in an annoyed tone, pulling her arm away from Casey's. "I'm fine." She stared at the final shot siting on the table, and then looked up at Elliot. He was doing the same and they both waited a moment before Olivia shot her hand out to grab the shot. But Elliot's arms were longer and he was slightly faster and he beat her to it. But instead of grabbing the shot, his hand accidentally hit the small glass, sending it sailing off the table between Casey and Fin.

Casey jumped as some of the tequila splashed on her shirt. She shot Elliot a dirty look. "What the hell?" she barked at him, standing up quickly. "What the hell is wrong with you two?"

Olivia looked over at her friend, shaking her head slightly. "Sorry Case." She grabbed some napkins from the table and tried to pat Casey's shirt, but Casey grabbed the napkins from her.

"I've got it."

Olivia sat back down in her chair, feeling the buzz of the two quick shots she'd had on top of the beers. The fight in her was gone and she stared across the table at Elliot. What the hell was happening? They'd waited days to get their hands on each other and now they were fighting? About what exactly? About control? Why? She'd seen him lose control with her…take over completely and she'd let him; she'd been aroused by it. So why was she fighting with him now? She flicked her eyes up at him and saw he was watching her. She licked her lips. She thought about Elliot's hands and mouth on her and she felt a pull low in her belly. If he wanted to be in control, she would gladly relinquish it to have that passion focused on her again.

"El." She said softly. "I think I'd better go home."

Elliot narrowed his eyes at her, wondering about the change in her tone. Wondering what she was up to now. She didn't usually acquiesce this easily when there was a battle going on. But then again, he wasn't even sure what the battle had been about. One minute he was pushing her against the alley wall where she had been a willing participant, and the next minute they were having this battle over these stupid shots.

This wasn't how this night was supposed to be going. He'd wanted dinner and nice evening at her place, hopefully letting nature take it's course. Then things got heated in the alley and he'd lost the notion of any kind of romance and moved on to pure, unadulterated lust. And now, they were both buzzed and pumped up with adrenaline. He looked over at her and shook his head. She was the most stubborn, hard-headed, strong willed person he knew…He saw her give him a questioning look and bite her bottom lip…damnit. She was also the most beautiful, sexy woman he knew.

He stood up quickly. "We're out of here." He said, looking over at Fin, Munch and Casey. "See you guys Monday."

"Hey," said Fin. "Liv's supposed to be buying."

Elliot pulled out his wallet and pulled $80 out and threw it on the table. "That's all the cash I have." He said. He came around and snagged Olivia's arm. "C'mon. Let's go." And he walked out with Olivia struggling to catch up.

She turned towards Fin, Munch and Casey as she left and waved. "See you Monday."

Fin looked over at Casey after they'd left. "What the hell just happened?" He knew Casey and Olivia were friends and would know if anything was going on. "Is there something going on that I don't know about?" he asked.

Casey shrugged her shoulders. "You know those two…who knows?" She smiled a little, hoping that her friend was finally trying to work things out.

EOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO

Elliot and Olivia got outside the bar and Elliot pulled her quickly to the line of cabs. He turned to her. "You're place?" Olivia just nodded, speechless as Elliot opened the door and practically shoved her inside. He climbed in and slid close to her, shutting the door and giving the cabdriver her address. As he pulled away from the curb, Olivia felt Elliot's left hand move to her thigh, just above her knee. He slid his hand up her thigh slowly and turned his hand as he reached her upper thigh, letting his fingers graze her inner thigh. Olivia jolted slightly. She hadn't been expecting that. He ran his hand back and forth, increasing the pressure on her thigh and letting his fingers dip lower and lower on her inside thigh until they grazed her bikini line and the seam of her panties. She clenched her legs together involuntarily and let out a small moan. Elliot held his hand in place, running his fingers along the seam of her panties and she drew in a breath, trying to anticipate what he was going to do next. She looked up and saw the cabdriver watching them from the front seat and she put a hand on top of Elliot's, nodding her head forward. He understood what she was trying to tell him and shot the driver a dirty look. The driver turned his eyes back on the road and Elliot moved his hand again.

Olivia removed her hand from his, gasping lightly as his fingers grazed over her mound. She felt moisture in between her legs and suddenly wanted nothing more than for them to be home, for Elliot to take off her pants and have his hands between her legs. She swallowed hard as he continued to graze his fingers lightly over her and it took everything in her to stifle a moan. She dropped her head back against the seat and closed her eyes. Elliot pushed his hand down and Olivia spread her legs slightly, giving his access. He slipped his fingers down and cupped her and she found herself pressing herself into the palm of his hand. He ground his hand into her and she bit her bottom lip. "Are we almost home?" she whispered, not trusting her voice.

Elliot smiled, looking at the flush on her face and feeling the warmth between her legs. "Almost." He said, continuing to work his fingers between her legs.

Olivia looked at the cocky grin on his face and shook her head. "Ass." She hissed, not wanting to feed his ego any more, but that was followed quickly with a low moan as he pushed her legs apart a little more. That throaty groan from her sent a jolt through Elliot and he felt his dick twitch. She was right, they needed to get home.

As if reading their thoughts, the cabdriver pulled over. Elliot looked and saw they were in front of Olivia's apartment.

"That'll be $22.75" the cabdriver said, leaning across the back of the seat and letting his eyes rove over Olivia sprawled against the seat. Elliot sat up, putting himself between the driver and Olivia, blocking his view of her. The driver turned his attention back to Elliot and Elliot shot him a dirty look.

"Keep your eyes to yourself" he said in a dark tone and the cabdriver shrugged.

"I wasn't doin' anything." He said and held out his hand.

Elliot looked over at Olivia. "I gave all my cash to Fin."

Olivia sighed. She needed to get into her apartment NOW. She fished in her pocket and pulled out a few bills. "This is all I have." She said. Elliot sorted through it and found a twenty and a five and gave it to the cabbie.

Elliot stepped out of the cab and reached in, grabbing her hand and helping her out. She fell against him, still slightly buzzed from the shots and a little weak in the knees from Elliot's hands on her in the cab. He wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled his face in her hair. "Are you OK?" he asked.

"Take me upstairs El." She whispered. She pulled away, turning toward her apartment building and letting her hand graze his semi hard member. "I've been waiting a long time…" she took his hand lightly in his and shot him a sultry look. "And I'm going to rock your world."


	25. Chapter 25

_Thanks for your reviews. I'm going to try to update this more quickly and move things along!_

**From the end of the last chapter:**

**Elliot stepped out of the cab and reached in, grabbing her hand and helping her out. She fell against him, still slightly buzzed from the shots and a little weak in the knees from Elliot's hands on her in the cab. He wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled his face in her hair. "Are you OK?" he asked.**

"**Take me upstairs El." She whispered. She pulled away, turning toward her apartment building and letting her hand graze his semi hard member. "I've been waiting a long time…" she took his hand lightly in his and shot him a sultry look. "And I'm going to rock your world." **

EOEOEOEOEOEO

Elliot followed Olivia into the elevator and pinned her against the wall with his body. He put his hands on her shoulders and leaned in for a kiss, but Olivia pushed him back. "Someone's eager." She flicked her eyes up towards the camera in the elevator. "I don't need anyone recording us El."

Elliot looked back over his shoulder and saw the camera. He raised an eyebrow. "I might like a copy…" he teased, leaning back in and giving Olivia a quick kiss. The elevator door opened and Elliot looped his arm around Olivia's waist, pulling her towards the elevator doors and out into the hallway. They reached her door and Olivia pulled the keys out of her pocket and dangled them in front of Elliot. She leaned against the door facing Elliot and pulled him against her, attacking his neck with her lips. Elliot groaned as she pulled him closer, letting her tongue trail up his neck and nipping at his earlobe. He grabbed the keys out of her hands and tried to get the door unlocked. Olivia placed a kiss on his jawline and dropped her hand to his belt buckle and Elliot dropped the keys. He put his hand on hers and pulled it off. "Shit Liv." He stepped back and found the keys on the floor, quickly scooping them up and trying to get the door unlocked again. Olivia ran her hands over his chest and smiled; he had gotten things started in the cab but now it was her turn to amp things up.

She leaned in and whispered in his ear. "Hurry up El." Elliot felt a jolt to his groin and swallowed hard, trying to focus on getting the door open. "Damnit!" He yelled in frustration as he missed the lock again. Olivia laughed and turned, snatching the keys from his hand.

"Let me." She said, fitting the key in the lock and swinging the door open. Elliot came in close behind her, placing his hands on her waist, burying his face in her neck and kicking the door shut behind him.

"Now where were we?" he said, turning her around and running his hands across her shoulders, gripping her upper arms. He leaned in and kissed her, moving one hand up to cup the back of her head and driving his tongue between her lips. She groaned and kissed him back, their tongues tangling. Olivia looped her arms around his waist and then ran her hands up and down his back as Elliot moved them towards her bedroom. When they reached the closed door, he pushed her up against it, dropping his lips to her neck and placing kisses from her jawline up to ear, nipping gently along the way. Olivia's head fell back against the door as Elliot's hands dropped down to her hips and slid slowly down to her ass, pulling her against his groin.

Olivia's breath hitched as she felt his desire against her thigh. "Is this what you call taking it slow?" Olivia whispered.

Elliot pulled back. "Liv…you've been driving me crazy all day." He said in an exasperated tone. "I can't take it anymore." He ran his hands down her sides and wedged his fingers inside the waistband of her jeans, tugging her body back to his. "I told you at the bar…you're mine."

Olivia raised her brows and looked into his eyes. "I'm yours?" she said, laughing a little. She pushed him back, trailing a finger along his jaw as she moved away. "I think, Detective Stabler, that _you're mine_." She looked back at Elliot with a sly smile…and Elliot knew instantly that she was right. That he would do anything for her. She was in charge.

She opened the door to her bedroom, and looked back at him and gave him a sultry smile. She could see the lust in his eyes and smiled as she walked into her room, putting a little extra sway in her hips. Elliot came up behind her and she turned before he reached her. She put out her hands and stopped him with her hands on his chest. "Liv…" his voice was hoarse. She was running her hands back and forth, feeling the hard planes of his chest.

Her eyes flicked up to his. She grabbed his shirt and tugged it out of his jeans. "Take if off" she said, biting her bottom lip and taking a step back. Olivia had never been one to relinquish much control in her sexual liaisons; she never wanted to put herself in a potentially risky position, and she never let herself get too emotionally involved. It was best to be in control. But she knew that with Elliot, she could perhaps relinquish that control, as she'd done in the alley. She smiled, watching as Elliot started to unbutton his shirt. She licked her lips again. But for now, she was enjoying this and keep control as he let her.

Elliot watched a small smile play across her lips as he took off his shirt. He dropped his shirt to the floor and Olivia let her eyes rove over his chest. She took a step towards him and placed her hands on her chest. She closed her eyes as she ran her hands from his chest down to his abdomen. She'd seen Elliot's naked torso any number of times, but had never been able to touch. She splayed her hands across his stomach, trailing her fingers down to his belt buckle. She wrapped her fingers around his belt buckle and started to pull it open, and she heard a small moan escape his lips. She smiled, but used the leverage to turn him towards the bed. She put her hands on his shoulders and pushed him down so he was sitting on the edge of the bed. She stood between his knees and leaned over, kissing him deeply. His hands went to her waist.

She pulled back and whispered in his ear. "Tell me what you want El." She whispered and Elliot lost all rational thought as he felt a rush of heat to his groin. He was hard as hell and he'd barely even touched her. He reached up, placing his hands on her hips and pulling her towards him, burying his face in her stomach and inhaling her scent. He pulled his head back and looked up at her…and saw her looking at down at him, a small smile on her face. He put his hands on her hips and swung her around, throwing her down on the bed. He stood up, unbuckled his belt and tore off his jeans, leaving him in his black sports briefs. He crawled over her body, caging her body with his, hovering over her on his hands and knees.

"I want _you_." He growled. "Like you said…I'm yours Liv. I'm here to make you happy…to please you." He crashed his lips against hers and she opened her mouth. Elliot wasted no time delving his tongue into her mouth and Olivia let out a small moan as he swiped his tongue against hers. He devoured her mouth as he ran his left hand up her side, brushing the side of her breast. He slid his hand over her breast and squeezed lightly, causing another moan from Olivia. He ran his hand back down and found the hem of her t-shirt, dipping his hand underneath and feeling bare skin. He pulled away from the kiss, and grabbed the bottom of her t-shirt, pulling it up and over her head. Elliot looked down at her, taking in her full breasts encased in a black lace bra; the same one he'd seen a glimpse of today in the locker room. He trailed his fingers across the swell of both breasts before dipping his fingers beneath the lace. He could feel Olivia's peaked nipple and ran his fingers over her breast, loving the sound of Olivia's moans as he ran his fingers back and forth. Elliot pulled his hand out of her bra and sat back slightly. He reached for her belt buckle and Olivia's breath hitched. Elliot looked up at her, capturing her eyes as if asking for permission. She bit her bottom lip and continued to watch him…Elliot took that as a yes, and unbuckled her belt. He unbuttoned her jeans and pulled them down over her hips, revealing lacy black panties. Elliot groaned as he pulled her jeans down all the way, moving down her body and standing at the end of the bed as he pulled them completely off and dropped them on the floor.

Elliot stood and looked at Olivia lying on the bed. Her bronze skin… her full breasts clad only in black lace…her small black panties barely concealing her sex…her long legs. He'd imagined a semi naked Olivia Benson so many times…but reality was so much better than he could have ever imagined. His eyes roved over her body again until he met her eyes and he saw her looking at him intently, her lips parted slightly. "God Liv." He said in a hoarse whisper. He swallowed hard. "So beautiful…" He stood for a second, just staring into her eyes…_God, he was in so deep_.

Olivia held out her hand. "El…Stop it."

"What?"

"Stop staring at me like that and get over here." She bit her bottom lip and smiled at him. He smiled as he crawled back on to the bed. "You don't have to give me compliments…It's pretty clear I'm going to have sex with you." She teased.

Elliot crawled over her again, resting on his elbows and knees. "Give me a break. Do you know how long I've wanted this? Besides, you _are_ beautiful Liv. And I'm going to keep telling you that as often as I can." He leaned in for another kiss, but quickly dropped back down to her neck, trailing his tongue down to her collarbone, sending a shiver through her body. He worked his way down to her breasts, leaving a trail of small kisses until he reached her bra. "As much as I love this bra, it has to come _off_."

Olivia smiled and lifted up slightly as Elliot reached behind, trying to unclasp the bra. He struggled a little and sat up slightly, using both hands to finally get it loose. He slowly pulled it off, taking in a deep breath as he tossed it aside. He'd spent years looking at her from across his desk, shirts and sweaters hugging those breasts, getting a glimpse of cleavage now and then. He couldn't believe she was lying here beneath him. _Jesus Christ_. His eyes flicked up to Olivia's face and he saw her smile.

"I never thought you were a breast man El. You spent all of your time looking at my ass."

Elliot leaned back in and kissed her. "Liv…I wasn't just looking at your ass…" He reached down and started massaging her left breast, flicking her nipple with his thumb, while he took her other breast in his mouth. Olivia groaned beneath him and bucked her hips up against him as he kept lavishing attention on her breasts.

"El." She said breathlessly. She ran one hand over his head, while her other hand gripped his shoulder. As Elliot moved his mouth to her other breast and tongued her nipple, she dug her fingernails into his shoulder and closed her eyes, moaning at the sensation of his mouth on her. She started writhing beneath him, rubbing her thigh against his erection and Elliot pushed himself into her, letting out a small moan. The vibration against her breast caused Olivia to shudder, goosebumps breaking out across her skin.

Elliot pulled his mouth from her breast and moved down her abdomen, placing gentle kisses as he trailed down to the waistband of her underwear. He moved his body down, using his hands to spread her legs slightly, settling himself between them. He placed his hands on her hips, running his thumbs across her hipbones. His lowered his mouth and Olivia could feel his warm breath on her core, causing another shudder to run through her body in anticipation. Elliot ran his hands down from her hips, capturing the sides of her underwear and pulling them down slowly. Olivia's breath hitched and he pulled them down over her thighs. Elliot groaned, using one hand to push her underwear down to her ankles, where Olivia kicked it off.

Elliot looked back up at Olivia and saw her watching him with hooded eyes. She was breathing heavily and her skin was flushed. He leaned in and pushed her legs apart a little more, placing a kiss on her inner thigh. He looked up again as he saw Olivia throw her head back against the bed, her eyes closing. He placed gentle kisses on the inside of her right thigh and then moved to her left. He moved to her core, hovering over her and heard Olivia's breath hitch again.

"Breathe Liv." He whispered. He reached up with his hand, running his index finger through her folds down to her entrance…god she was so wet. He followed the trail his finger had made with his tongue and Olivia bucked her hips up at the sensation. Elliot moved a hand up to her hip, holding her down. He ran his tongue back and forth and Olivia writhed beneath him.

"El." She rasped out. She didn't know if she could stand the sensation of his mouth on her. "God El…." Elliot found her clit and ran his tongue across it, causing a jolt from Olivia. He took a finger and circled her entrance a few times before he pushed in, past the initial resistance of her body, getting a small gasp from Olivia.

Olivia let out a long, low moan and Elliot's dick twitched again. He didn't know how much longer he was going to be able to hold out. He let up on her clit with his tongue and looked back up at Olivia as he pumped a finger in and out of her. He added a second finger and felt her body clamp around him as she cried out. She was grabbing the sheets and twisting her body as Elliot continued pumping his fingers, curling them inside her. His thumb found her clit and he rubbed her back and forth, watching as she fisted the sheets and her body tensed.

"Let go Liv." He said and applied more pressure to her clit.

"Jesus..fuck…gah…" Olivia gasped as her body clenched around his fingers and he felt a rush of liquid heat over his fingers. Elliot gently removed his hand and crawled back up her body, placing more kisses on her abdomen and her breasts until he reached her lips. She was breathing heavily, still coming down from her high as he captured her lips with his. He kissed her hungrily, wanting her more than he'd ever wanted anything. Olivia pushed back against his chest, trying to capture her breath. Elliot sat up slightly and Olivia pushed him again, sitting up.

"What's wrong?" he asked, a look of concern on his face.

Olivia smiled. "Absolutely nothing." She said, her voice husky with desire. She pushed him off her and onto his back next to her. Before Elliot could react, she was straddling him, grinding her core against him. She leaned over him and her hair tickled his chest as she placed kisses along his chest. She ground into him again, and Elliot put his hands on her hips, trying to pull her up.

"Liv" he said, a warning tone in his voice.

She looked up at him and smiled with a devilish smile. She sat up and ground against him again, palming her breasts. Elliot reached for her but she swatted his hands away, shaking her head. "It's my turn…" she said playfully, lifting herself up and backing down his body on her knees. She trailed her fingers under the waistband of his underwear, but kept backing down his body. She pulled her fingers out of his waistband, and ran one hand over his length. He pushed himself up into her hand and Olivia kept up the pressure, rubbing her hand up and down.

Elliot sucked in a breath. "Liv…you have to stop that." Her hand stilled, and then went back to the waistband of his underwear. She pulled them down, finally releasing him. Her eyes flicked up to his and she licked her lips. She ran her hand down his length again and Elliot really groaned this time. "Liv…god…stop." He wrapped his hands around her upper arms and pulled her back up to him. "I need you." He tried to push her back down on the bed.

"No." Olivia said. She lifted herself up and positioned herself over him, so the tip of him was at her entrance. She placed her hands on his chest and leaned in and kissed him hard. She sat back up slightly and Elliot put his hands on her hips. She slowly lowered herself and closed her eyes as he entered her. She couldn't believe how Elliot filled her so completely; he was buried so deep and she paused as her body adjusted to the intrusion.

Elliot groaned. "God Liv. You feel so amazing…" He grabbed her hips more tightly and moved her body up slowly and then bucked his hips up while he pushed her hips back down, plunging himself deep inside of her and eliciting a string of unintelligible babble from Olivia. She moved up and down slowly with Elliot's hands on her hips, and then sped up, their actions becoming more frantic as the intensity built.

"Fuck Liv. Fuck…" Elliot said as he felt Olivia clench around him. "I can't…" he gasped. Olivia startled to falter; their rhythm broken as Olivia felt her orgasm rip through her.

"Fuck El." She gasped. She fell on his chest and he rolled them over, continuing to thrust inside her as she moaned beneath him. She raked her hands down his back and wrapped her legs around him, digging her heels into his ass as he buried himself deep inside her. He thrust a couple more times before he came hard, and Olivia felt him release inside her. He collapsed on top of her with a loud grunt and Olivia gasped as his weight dropped on to her. She grabbed his arms.

"El" she rasped and he pulled up, realizing he was crushing her. He rolled over, pulling Olivia over with him and held her tight against his chest. They were both breathing heavily and both of them were covered in a fine sheen of sweat. Elliot ran his hand through her hair and kissed her forehead.

"Jesus Liv…" Elliot gasped out. "I can't…" he paused. "I don't even have words…Fuck."

Olivia smiled against his chest. "I agree."

Elliot pulled back lightly on her hair, tilting her head so she was looking at him. "Liv. God Liv. I love you so much."

_Jeez…for some reason, I had a hard time writing that. It wasn't flowing very well. Hope it was OK. Please leave a review!_


	26. Chapter 26

_I'm trying to get this story updated more quickly to keep everyone happy! I hope you liked the last chapter, and that you like this next one._

EOEOEOEOEOEOEO

Olivia opened her eyes slowly, still in that place between sleeping and waking. Her mind was still hazy, and she was trying to get her bearings. It was light out…was it morning? She realized that she wasn't alone and tried to piece together her memory. Full consciousness finally returned, and the events of this evening came rushing back. It was still Friday. And it was Elliot's arms wrapped around her. She felt the pleasant ache between her legs and smiled. She couldn't believe she was lying here with Elliot; she had dreamed about this for so long…she almost wanted to pinch herself just to make she it _wasn't_ a dream.

Elliot stirred next to her, tightening his hold on her. She ran her hand across his chest and he moaned in his sleep. She lifted his hand from her waist as gently as possible and tried to move out of his grasp. She had to use the bathroom and didn't want to wake him. She moved to the side of the bed and sat for a moment, relishing how relaxed she felt. Nothing like a couple of good orgasms to relieve stress. She smiled and stretched her arms over her head. She was startled when she felt Elliot's hand on her back, and she jumped slightly.

"Where do you think you're going?" Elliot asked, his voice heavy with sleep.

She turned back towards him. "I just have to go to the bathroom."

"What time is it?" he asked, rubbing his hand across his eyes.

"I have no idea. I'll check on my way back." She stood and walked into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. She peed and then moved to the sink to wash her hands. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and smiled. She had that _I've just been fucked_ look; he lips swollen…her hair a mess. She washed her hands and splashed warm water on her face. As she stood, she saw some light purple bruising on her neck and her breasts; she was going to kill Elliot for leaving marks.

She walked out of the bathroom and saw Elliot watching her. He gave her a funny look and it looked like he wanted to say something.

"What?" she asked, stopping a few steps outside the bathroom.

Elliot propped his head on his arm, lying on his side. "I just…" He sighed. "I feel like I must be dreaming…you're walking around naked and two weeks ago, I never would have imagined…"

Olivia raised one eyebrow. "I can put some clothes on if my nudity is bothering you." She curled her lip into a small smile. "I forget you're a good Catholic boy…"

"I didn't say I wasn't enjoying the view." Elliot said, sitting up in bed. "Come over here." He patted the bed next to him.

"El. I need food."

"Just for a minute." He said, putting an angelic look on his face, making Olivia laugh.

She shook her head. "Such a choir boy." She said, walking slowly towards the bed. "One minute." She held up a finger. "One." She climbed back onto the bed and Elliot reached for her, pulling her against him. He rolled over, pushing her back down on the bed and kissing her, one hand tangled in her hair and the other running across her stomach.

"You are so goddamned sexy." He growled. He dipped his head to her neck and started nipping at the skin, then soothing it with his tongue.

"Elliot…I swear…" she pushed against him. "Don't leave any more marks!"

He pulled back and stared down at her. "I can't help myself." He said innocently, dipping his head back down and trailing his tongue down towards her breasts. "You taste so good."

He moved his body over hers, resting on his elbows as he stared into her eyes. He put one leg between hers and pressed lightly against her core.

"El…" Olivia said, laughing lightly. "I'm hungry."

"C'mon Liv. I still have at least half a minute left." He ran his hand up her stomach and palmed her breast, squeezing lightly as he pressed his lips against hers. He pulled her bottom lip between his and hummed against her mouth.

Olivia felt a familiar pull in her lower belly. She spread her legs a little more and Elliot pressed his leg into her; and she couldn't stop the moan that escaped. "El…" she moaned again softly as he trailed his tongue down to her left breast and took it in his mouth. He ran his tongue back and forth over her nipple and Olivia pushed her hips against his thigh. "Fu…" Olivia whimpered, her mind numb with the sensations running through her body.

Elliot pulled back and shifted next to Olivia, removing his knee from in between her legs and his hand and mouth from her breasts. He rested his hand on her stomach and looked at her, seeing her eyes closed and her face and chest flushed.

She opened her eyes and looked over at him, missing his body on hers. "What…" she furrowed her brow. "Why did you stop?"

He got a cocky grin on his face. "You said you were hungry, and that I only had a minute. Minutes up." He started to roll away from her and she grabbed his arm.

"How about I give you five more minutes." She said, and Elliot smiled, rolling back towards her.

EOEOEOEOEOEOEO

Olivia rested her head on Elliot's chest and he trailed his hand up and down her back. She sighed contentedly, running her hand back and forth across his chest.

"Still hungry?" Elliot asked.

"Starving." said Olivia.

Elliot rolled her on her back and leaned over, kissing her. "Let's go out." He stared down at her and smiled.

"Go out?" asked Olivia. "Why don't we just order in?"

"I want to go out." He smiled. "It will be like a date."

"You mean a date where we get to know each other better, talk about our childhoods, our likes and dislikes?" she laughed as she trailed a hand down Elliot's cheek. "I think we have that covered."

"C'mon Liv. I just feel like going out." He ran a hand through her hair. "Something casual. Just jump in the shower and throw on some jeans. I'm going to run home and get cleaned up." He leaned in for another kiss. "I'll be back in 45 minutes and we'll go out."

Olivia lifted her head up and kissed him. "OK El." At this point, she was starving and just wanted to eat.

Elliot rolled off the bed and looked around for his clothes. He looked over at Olivia, who had propped herself up on her elbows and was watching him.

"Problem?"

"I'm trying to find my underwear."

She laughed. "They're here somewhere." She climbed off the bed, stretching as she walked towards the bathroom. She heard Elliot let out a heavy sigh and she looked back at him.

"Jesus Christ Liv." He walked towards her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her back against him. "You drive me crazy. I'm never going to get tired of looking at you. If it were up to me, we'd never leave this room."

Olivia laughed and pushed herself back against him. "Quit acting like a horny teenager. If I don't get something to eat soon…I'm not going to have any energy." She turned around and wrapped her arms around his neck. "And if I don't have any energy…" She kissed him, dropping her hands to his shoulders. She pushed him back. "Now go. Be back here in 45 minutes or I'm going without you." She turned and went into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

EOEOEOEOEOEO

Olivia got out of the shower, drying off and wrapping a towel around her hair. She rubbed lotion on her legs and arms, and brushed her teeth. She debated if she should cover up the hickeys that Elliot had left and decide they weren't probably that noticeable. _Well, maybe just a little concealer_. She opened up her medicine cabinet to pull out her make-up and saw her packet of birth control pills sitting on the shelf. Well, _SHIT._ She pulled them out and sat down on the edge of the tub, staring at the packet in her hands. _Jesus, where was her head? She'd just gotten an all clear from Melinda this morning and she was back to having unprotected sex less than 12 hours later? _She let out a heavy sigh. She hadn't even thought about it. With other guys, it was just as much about potential STD's and other shit as it was about getting pregnant…after all, she was usually on the pill. But it had been awhile since she'd dated anyone and she had been lax. And when she thought she might have been pregnant, she'd stop taking them altogether. _Damnit! _With Elliot, she hadn't even thought about it; she trusted him and knew he hadn't slept with anyone except Kathy. Birth control had been the last thing on her mind.

She thought back to her conversation with Elliot earlier in the week. _He_ was the one that had proposed they throw caution to the wind and go for it so she would never know who the father was _if_ she was pregnant. But that was a different situation.

But…he hadn't really asked her about birth control either….he knew she wasn't on anything. So it wasn't only her fault. _SHIT SHIT SHIT_. She scrubbed her hands over her face, frustrated with herself. This situation with Elliot was going to be complicated already…a baby wasn't going to make it easier. They were going to have to talk about this. She tossed the birth control pills into the garbage can; that packet wasn't going to do her any good now. She stood up and went to get ready.

EOEOEOEOEOE

Olivia was just pulling a sweater over her head when she heard her phone buzzing. She pulled up her jeans as she walked over and picked it up. The message was from Elliot, letting her know that he was downstairs. She grabbed her stuff and went downstairs, sliding into the passenger seat. Elliot leaned over and kissed her, squeezing her hand.

"Up for a burger?"

Olivia nodded and Elliot drove them to a little diner they had eaten at a few other times. They slid into the booth and ordered. Olivia settled back in her seat and Elliot watcher her closely. He could sense a change in her mood.

"What's wrong Liv?" He reached across the table and covered her hand with his.

She flicked her eyes up towards him. "Nothing's wrong. I'm just hungry."

"OK." Elliot was trying to decide how much to push; he knew if he pushed too hard he wouldn't get anywhere. But he also knew that Olivia was prone to overanalyzing things. And if things got too overwhelming or intense, her first instinct was flight. He decided to try a different tactic.

"So, Liv. What's your favorite color?" he asked.

Olivia furrowed her brow. "What?" She hadn't expected that question.

"Your favorite color…" Elliot prompted.

"El, you know my favorite color."

"Liv, this is our first date. Those are the kinds of things we're supposed to talk about, aren't they? So tell me your favorite color."

Olivia smiled. "Blue. And yours?"

"Same. I love that blue sweater you have…it looks amazing on you." He said, wiggling his eyebrows at her.

Olivia laughed again. "Your favorite color is blue because of my sweater?"

"Oh yeah…" Elliot said, stretching the words out and grinning.

"You're ridiculous." She said, but found herself laughing.

"Your turn to ask me a question." He said.

Olivia bit her bottom lip, trying to think of what she wanted to ask him. "Hmmm. How old were you when you first kissed a girl? A real kiss."

Elliot smiled. "I was in the 6th grade, so I was probably 12. Her name was Molly Bannon and she had this beautiful, long, red hair. I kissed her on the playground at recess. She told me she wanted me to, but after I kissed her, she slapped me."

Olivia laughed out loud. "God El. Charming women since Day 1!"

He got a sheepish grin on his face. "Yeah, but it was totally worth it. I had such a crush on her. Three days later she started going with another guy and my heart was broken." He put his hand over his heart and Olivia smiled. It was funny how much time she and Elliot spent together, and yet she really knew very little about him as a child or as a young man. Both knew that their childhoods were kind of off-limits, both having experienced a less than ideal upbringing. But stuff like this was fun to hear.

He nodded at her. "What about you? I bet you had lots of boys trying to kiss you." He said.

Olivia shook her head. "I was a pretty quiet kid. I mostly kept to myself."

"Yeah, but who gave you your first kiss?"

Olivia smiled, almost shyly. "His name was David Logan. I was 13 and he was 15 and I thought he was _all that_. An older man. He lived in my building and when I needed to escape my apartment, I would spend time in the little garden area up on the roof of the building. He did the same, and we got to be friends. And one night, we were both up there, listening to the sounds of the city and not talking about whatever was happening in our apartments downstairs and he leaned over and kissed me. We "dated" for almost 6 months." She made air quotes when she said the word _dated_. She sighed. "He was a nice boy."

"Sounds like there's more to the story" Elliot said.

Olivia smiled. "Nah…I was just too young." A few seconds passed and then she reached out and took Elliot's hand. "El…" She bit her bottom lip.

He tightened his grip on her hand. "What Liv?" She looked tentative and he was worried about what she was going to say.

"Thanks for taking me out on a date." She smiled. "It's nice to go out and not talk about work and all of the other things we usually talk about. I thought I knew you…that I knew every side of you, but sitting here, I realize I don't. You've been full of surprises this past week. And I'm happy that we're here."

Elliot broke out in a grin. "Me too Liv."


	27. Chapter 27

They'd been talking for a couple of hours, their food long gone. Olivia stifled a yawn and Elliot looked at his watch.

"Jeez. It's after 2AM. I'd better get you home before you fall asleep in this booth."

Olivia smiled and nodded. "It's been quite a day."

They paid their bill and made their way to the car. Elliot opened the door for Olivia and she turned to look at him and laughed.

"What?" he asked.

"I've been riding in this car with you for seven years…and now you open the door for me?" She knew Elliot could be kind of old-fashioned, but at work they were partners…equals. Usually he worked really hard to remember that, despite failing miserably many times.

"This is a date Liv." He shrugged and grabbed her hand, pushing her back against the car. "This is different." He leaned in and gave her a kiss. "Stop busting my balls." He whispered in her ear and she laughed again.

Elliot pulled back and looked at her. He loved it when she laughed. When she _really_ laughed, it reached her eyes and the stress of life, work and everything else was gone. This was one of those moments, and he was once against stunned by her beauty. He took her other hand in his and looked back and forth between her eyes.

"You're beautiful Liv."

Olivia didn't like compliments, and he knew that. And as expected, she averted her eyes, a denial on her lips.

He dropped her hands and reached for her chin, forcing her to face him again.

"Look at me Liv."

She flicked her eyes back to his, wariness in her eyes.

"I mean it. You're one of the most beautiful people I know…inside and out." He smiled at her. "And you'd better get used to hearing it because I'm going to keep telling you that. There were so many times I wanted to and I couldn't, so now I'm going to take every chance I get." He leaned in and gave her a gentle kiss. "And maybe one day, you'll believe it." He stole another kiss and then wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close and nuzzling his face on the crown of her head. "I love you."

Olivia buried her face in his chest, loving the strength of him as he held her close. This was all so overwhelming. She had never pegged Elliot for a romantic, but she should have guessed. He was pretty traditional, and pretty intense about just about everything in his life. Why should his love life be any different? She had wanted to hear those words for so long; she'd waited to have Elliot's arms around her…to make love with him. And now she had it all and she was scared as hell. She took a deep breath; they had talked about this. She had to take a chance and let him in. She pulled back and smiled. "I love you El."

EOEOEOEOEOEO

They got back to her apartment building and Elliot parked the car. They decided to take the stairs and work off the burgers and fries they had eaten. When they reached her door, Olivia pulled her keys out of her pocket. Elliot was standing behind her and she turned to face him.

"Well." She said. "Thanks. I had a really great time tonight." She had to suppress a smile when she saw the confused look on Elliot's face. He obviously didn't know she was teasing him.

"What?" he said, furrowing his brows as he looked at her.

"I said thanks. Tonight was fun."

"But…I thought…" Elliot ran a hand across his chin.

"You thought what?" she paused a second. "El…I don't ask guys into my apartment after just one date. What kind of girl do you think I am?" she said, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to keep a smile off her face.

"Liv." Elliot said, a stern tone in his voice that _said stop fucking with me_.

"Hey, I don't make the rules. You said this was a date. A _first_ date. That you wanted to go out on some dates and take things slowly…" She pointed a finger at him. "Your words, not mine."

"Well…yeah. But that was before…you know." He stumbled over his words. "Liv, we already had sex."

Olivia shrugged her shoulders. "Like I said, I didn't make the rules." She knew she was pushing him a little, but he still didn't get that she was teasing…so she kept going.

Elliot let out an exasperated sigh. "Are you serious?"

Olivia stood and just looked at him, crossing her arms and leaning against the door. "Do I look serious?"

Elliot shook his head. He knew he had told her some BS about taking things slowly and going out on some dates but that was _before_. He narrowed his eyes at her, trying to figure out what game she was playing but she had a great poker face. He sighed; he'd been looking forward to spending the night with her but he wasn't going to push her. He scratched his jaw, feeling the stubble of his beard.

"OK Liv." He shifted from one foot to the other. "So…I guess I'll see you tomorrow?" he asked.

Olivia smiled. "Are you asking me out on a second date Stabler?"

Elliot smiled. "And if I was, what would you say?"

Olivia looked thoughtful for a minute; she loved to tease Elliot. "Well…what would we do?"

"Liv…" He was getting impatient with her, but he took a deep breath. "Whatever you want to do."

She looked down and then looked back up at him, giving him a sly smile. "OK, I guess I'd like to go out with you again."

Elliot let out a small groan. "Liv, you're killing me." He leaned in closer to her, placing his hands against the door, one on either side of her head. "But tell me this. Do I get an invitation into your apartment after a second date?" He raised an eyebrow and his eyes dropped to her lips, then back to meet her gaze.

Olivia pushed against his chest with both hands and he took a half step back, his hands coming off the door. "That depends on how the second date goes." She fisted Elliot's shirt in her hands, and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. "So it better be good." She kissed him again. "Good night Elliot." She released him and turned towards the door. She heard another heavy sigh from Elliot as she unlocked the door.

"Night Liv." He said, turning to walk down the hallway. He couldn't believe she was turning him away, after everything that had happened tonight. He'd envisioned spending the night, holding her in his arms, and he thought she'd want the same thing. He heard Olivia's door close and he turned back as he heard the lock click shut. He stabbed the elevator button and leaned one arm against the wall, waiting.

Olivia leaned against the door, smiling to herself. She couldn't believe that Elliot had actually left. Elliot was the most cocky guy she knew; always in charge. She thought he'd push her…and not give up until she relented. He almost always expected things to go the way he wanted them to go. The fact that he'd acquiesced to her wishes spoke volumes. And even though she'd been joking, it had been interesting to watch him process it all…to give in to her. In reality, she wanted Elliot here with her. She didn't want to have sex again until they could talk, but she wanted to fall asleep in his arms.

She pulled her phone out of her pocket and thumbed open her text messaging. She debated what to say but quickly typed. _You give up too easily_. She jumped when she heard a light knocking on the door less than half a minute after she'd hit send. She looked through the peephole and saw Elliot standing there braced against the doorframe, his eyes narrowed and his lips pressed together.

Olivia opened the door wide and bit her bottom lip. She took in Elliot's body language and couldn't help laughing. "El, I was joking." When his expression didn't change, she took a step back. "El…I'm sorry but I couldn't help myself. I didn't think you'd actually _believe _me, or let me get away with it."

"Liv." He said, his voice stern. "Of course I'm going to believe you. You're in charge here…I told you I didn't want to push you into anything." Even though he was serious about what he was saying, it was his turn to push her buttons a little. "So I was thinking that maybe it would be better if we didn't have sex for a few weeks…you know…take time to date and move things slowly like I said before." He saw the look on her face and it was priceless. He couldn't hold it in anymore and he laughed. "Payback's a bitch Liv." He walked past her, placing a quick kiss on her lips as he passed by.

Olivia started laughing. "Elliot, you're an ass." She shut the door and flipped the lock. She sauntered over to Elliot, who had made his way into the living room. "Just for the record, I don't typically invite guys back into my apartment after a first date. But I _was_ just teasing you. I want you to stay tonight but just to sleep, OK?"

Elliot leaned in and kissed her, dropping his hands to her waist and pulling her against him. "Right."

She kissed him back but then pushed against his chest. "El, I'm serious. I'm exhausted. And we have a lot to talk about. OK?"

Elliot nodded. "K Liv. Whatever you want."

Olivia took his hand and started walking towards her bedroom. She pointed towards the bed. "You sleep on the side closest to the windows. I'm going to change." She dug through her drawers, trying to decide what to wear to bed. She didn't want to wear anything too revealing or too sexy. But she knew that Elliot wouldn't push himself on her either. She looked over and saw he had already taken off his shirt and jeans and was crawling into bed. _God he was sexy_. She sighed. Maybe she was the one that would need to resist temptation.

EOEOEOEOEOEO

When Olivia woke up in the morning, she was alone in bed. She could smell coffee and heard noises in the kitchen. She rolled over and looked out the window. Sunlight was streaming in and she realized it must be pretty late in the morning. She didn't normally sleep this late, but it had been quite an exhausting day yesterday and she hadn't gotten to sleep until after 3. They'd both fallen into each other once they'd gotten into bed, but sleep had claimed them quickly.

She sat up slowly, stretching. She could still feel a slight ache between her legs as a result of the night before. Elliot had been especially passionate the second time around and her body had stiffened overnight. She went to her closet and pulled out a hoodie to zip up over her tank top and padded out to the kitchen. Elliot had his back to her and she snuck up behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist. He jumped slightly and Olivia peeked around his body as he looked down at her.

"Good morning." She said, her voice still a little hoarse from sleep.

"Good morning." He said brightly, smiling at her. "Or should I say good afternoon?"

She released him and leaned up against the counter next to him. "What time is it? It can't be afternoon already!"

"No, but It's almost 11. Another ten minutes and I was going to come and wake you."

Olivia wiped her hands over her face. "I can't believe it's that late. I _never_ sleep that late."

Elliot got a cocky grin on his face. "I must have worn you out."

"You ego sometimes Stabler." Olivia said. She looked down at the counter. "Are you making breakfast?"

"Yep. And there's coffee." He nodded his head towards the coffeemaker. "I had to clean the cobwebs out of the fridge and I went to the store for some food." He shook his head. "Jeez Liv. I mean, I know you don't like to cook but that's ridiculous."

Olivia groaned, reaching for a coffee mug and pouring herself a cup of coffee. "Knock it off. It's not that bad. I pick up what I need on the way home, cook it and eat it. I don't need a lot of groceries sitting around and going bad because I don't make it home."

She leaned against the counter again, taking a sip of her coffee and watching Elliot as he diced up peppers and ham. "Are you making eggs?"

"Yeah Liv. These are eggs. Have you seen them before?" He held up an egg, waving it in front of her face.

"Very funny." She plucked the egg out of his hand, and for a moment, she eyed Elliot with an irresistible urge to smash the egg against his chest.

He narrowed his eyes at her, almost as if he could read her mind. "Don't you dare…"

He grabbed her wrist with his hand, and took the egg from her hand with his other hand. He leaned in and captured her lips with a kiss. He tugged her forward, almost making her spill her coffee, and kissed her again. "Now….go sit down. Breakfast will be ready in a minute."

"And we can talk during breakfast?" Olivia asked.

Elliot laughed. He knew Olivia wasn't going to let too much time pass before they'd have a serious discussion. "Yes Liv. We can talk."

_Please leave a review. I've had a few faithful readers that leave reviews (thank you!) but I'd love to hear what others think too!_


	28. Chapter 28

Olivia sat down at the small table she had tucked into the corner of her living room. There were two glasses of orange juice on the table and she set her coffee down and reached for the juice. A few minutes later, Elliot walked in, carrying two plates of scrambled eggs and some fresh fruit. He set a plate down in front of her with a small bow.

"Your breakfast madam."

Olivia laughed. "I could get used to this." She said.

Elliot leaned over and have her a quick kiss on the forehead. "Good. Another reason for you to keep me around." He said as he sat down.

"What are some of the other reasons?" Olivia said, taking a bite of her eggs and looking over at Elliot with a grin.

Elliot wagged his eyebrows at her. "I'd be happy to show you." He said with a smirk on his face.

"You have a one track mind Stabler." Olivia said, laughing.

"With you…always." Elliot grinned. "I have a lot of lost time to make up for."

Olivia shook her head. "You're incorrigible."

"Ah, I can tell your mom was an English professor. I was just a cop's kid. I don't know what that means." Elliot said, joking with her.

"If you look it up, I'm pretty sure there's a photo of you." She said, grabbing a strawberry off her plate and taking a bite.

"Be careful Benson or I won't cook for you anymore."

Olivia finished the last bite of her eggs, and gave him a look. "Well, this is pretty good. I guess I'll be a little nicer to you."

Elliot leaned in towards her. "Kiss the cook."

Olivia rolled her eyes and leaned in, giving him a kiss.

"Ummm. You taste like strawberries." He said, leaning back. He paused a few seconds. "So, as much as I hate to bring it up, what did you want to talk about?" He knew that after the last couple of days, there could potentially be a long list of items she wanted to discuss, but he wasn't sure what exactly was at the top of the list, so he'd let her take the lead.

Olivia grabbed her mug of coffee and leaned back in her chair.

"There's a lot of things I'd like to talk about." She said and Elliot smiled. She hesitated when she saw him smirking. "What?"

He shook his head. "Nothing. I just knew there'd be a long list. Don't forget, I know you pretty well."

"You don't have anything you want to talk through?" she asked.

Elliot raised his eyebrows at her, wondering if this was some kind of test. To him, things were pretty straightforward and it was pretty clear to him. But Olivia thought about things differently, overanalyzing and playing a lot of what/if scenarios. He'd come to rely on it and that's why they complemented each other so well.

"Of course." He said. "But I'm sure you got it covered in your list of topics." He smiled.

Olivia rolled her eyes. She know he was bluffing. Everything was so easy for him. She sighed heavily.

"C'mon Liv. You know me as well as I know you. And you know that I don't tend to think about things too much. I'm more of an _action_ kind of guy. I know I love you and that's I'm pretty damn happy right now. What else matters?"

Olivia sighed again and Elliot smiled.

"Liv. Start at the top of the list. What's the #1 thing that's bothering you?"

She took a deep breath. First and foremost was the birth control issue, but she wasn't sure that's where she wanted to start.

"There is no order." She took a sip of coffee. "But. Well, I've been thinking that I'd like to keep this" she moved her hand back and forth between them. "Between us for a while." She looked up and didn't see any kind of reaction from Elliot. "I just feel like once we start letting other people in, it gets really complicated really quickly." Elliot still didn't say anything. He was just looking at her and listening. "I mean, once we start telling people, then we have to tell everyone and that has ramifications and…"

Elliot finally interrupted her. "OK Liv. I understand what you're saying. But I'm only agreeing because I know that's what you want." He looked down at his empty plate and then looked back at her. "But do you want to keep it a secret because there's still a part of you that doesn't believe this will work out?"

Olivia opened her mouth to say no, but stopped. "El…I want this to work." She sighed again. "But I guess there's a part of me that still doesn't believe this is real." She held up a hand when Elliot started to interrupt. "I know what you're going to say but look at my life. Things never work out in my favor. So maybe…just maybe…if we don't let all of the outside noise in for a while, I can start to believe it. Does that make sense?"

Elliot smiled. "I understand you're scared Liv. But this is going to work out. This is forever Liv and one of these days you'll see. But I get it what you're saying. And I agree we'll keep this between us. OK?" He was happy to see Olivia smile. He put up a finger. "But one question. When we say _keeping it between us_, does that include Casey? Because I know you tell her _everything_."

Olivia rolled her eyes again. "I do NOT tell Casey _everything_."

Elliot laughed again. "Right. Just let me know what you do tell her so I don't slip up. OK, what else?"

"This is so awkward El. We don't talk about this kind of stuff." She shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"What kind of stuff?"

"Personal stuff. You know. Sex." She looked back down at her empty plate, her cheeks turning a little pink.

"Liv, that's _ALL_ we talk about, day in and day out. We investigate sex crimes, in case you forgot."

"I know that." She said with an exasperated tone. "But it's not personal."

"God Liv. I've seen you naked, I've had my hands and mouth all over your body…and now you can't talk to me about it?" He paused a moment as she looked back at him. "Did I do something…I mean…if I did something you don't like or if I hurt you, you have to tell me." He had a worried expression on his face. "God Liv…"

"El, stop it. It's not that. It's nothing like that." She smiled. "Did it seem like I didn't like anything you were doing?"

"Well, no." He grinned. "You seemed pretty good with it."

"Again with the ego…" Olivia laughed. Then the smile was gone again. "El…remember when we were talking on the roof on Monday?"

Elliot got a small scowl on his face. That was when he had heard what she'd done with Jack Spencer. That seemed so long ago. "Yes." He said cautiously. "There's _more_ you haven't told me?"

"No. I told you everything that happened." She noticed Elliot let out a sigh of relief. "But remember I told you that I _never_ have unprotected sex. Never. My entire life. Well, except for that one time."

"Yeah." Elliot said, a question on his face.

"It really wasn't about birth control; it was about STD's, HIV…you know."

"Yeah Liv. I get it. That's smart and I would have expected that from you." In the back of his mind, he thought that also indicated a level of intimacy that Olivia wasn't willing to relinquish, no matter how close they were or how long the relationship lasted. "So what's your point?"

Olivia furrowed her brow because how could he ask her that? He obviously didn't get what she was trying to tell him.

"El, we…when we…we didn't use anything last night. After what happened with Jack, I can't believe I would make the same mistake again." She set her mug on the table and put her head in her hands. "I don't know what I was thinking. You know what? I _didn't_ think about it…not for one moment."

"Whoa whoa. Slow down." Elliot tried to grab her hands but she pulled back and sat back in her chair.

"El…I'm sorry. I should have said something but it never crossed my mind. Because I trust you. And I love..." She stopped. "You know what? It doesn't matter. It was stupid."

Elliot reached over and grabbed her hands and rested them on top of the table, his on top of hers. "Liv. This isn't just _your_ responsibility. I could have asked you. But the truth is, I never thought about it either. And you know why? Because I love you and I wanted to make love to you with no barriers. And I know you're not on any kind of birth control. I _want_ to have a baby with you Liv. We talked about that already."

Olivia stood up. "No. _You_ talked about it when you thought I might already be pregnant. That's very different than just getting pregnant now. We didn't talk about that."

Elliot grabbed her hands and pulled her towards him. "Liv. You're right. We didn't talk about it. But I know you want a baby…and I know I want a baby with you. So what's the big deal?"

"Um. We've been 'together' for a day Elliot."

Elliot pulled Olivia towards him, grabbing her waist and pulling her down so she was straddling him on the chair. He kept his hands on her hips, but Olivia was still looking down, unable to meet his eyes.

"Liv. We've been 'together' for seven years. I've been falling in love with you since the day I met you; a little more every day. This is not a rebound from my marriage. This is not a fling." His hand left her hip and absentmindedly grabbed the zipper pull on her hoodie, sliding it down a notch and revealing a little more of her tank top. "And this is not just about sex. If I wanted random, hot sex, I could have gone anywhere." Her eyes flicked up at his then and he smiled. "I love you Olivia Benson. I know you can't let yourself believe this is real, but I'm going to make it my goal to make you believe it. You deserve someone to love you and cherish you and I do…I want to marry you and have kids with you and grow old together." He put his hand on her chin and kissed her. "Maybe we're not going everything in the right order…but we'll get there. So please, please…let me love you and stop worrying that everything's going to come crashing down." He kissed her gently then. "We'll have our moments…and things won't always be easy. There are a lot of hurdles we have to overcome but we can overcome them together."

He looked back and forth between Olivia's eyes and could see a glassy sheen. Olivia didn't cry very often, and he could see that she was trying hard not to. He also knew that this was really hard for her. The people in her life that were supposed to love her always let her down, so it was hard for her to trust.

"You trust me, don't you?"

"With my life." Olivia said, her voice barely a whisper.

"Me too. So now I'm giving you something else to take care of." He took her hands and placed them over his heart.

Olivia smiled. Damn Elliot Stabler. She was once again surprised by this romantic side of him; all these years it had been so difficult to share their feelings and now all of this heartfelt sentiment came pouring out of his mouth.

Elliot caught the smile on her face. "So that smile means?"

"You know how I feel Elliot. It's just…" She paused and Elliot frowned. "No. I'm just wondering…where has this side of Elliot Stabler been? You and I could never have a conversation that involved any kind of emotion. I've never seen this side of you and it's taking me by surprise a little every time I hear things like that come out of your mouth."

"Liv. You know that we could never get too deep or we both would have said things that we weren't ready to hear. Or couldn't hear. It's like all of the barriers we put up over the years to cope with our relationship…" He rubbed his hands up and down her arms. "If there had been on chink…one second of crossing that line…it would have been over."

Olivia sighed. "I know. I just never suspected that under that hot headed, stubborn exterior was a romantic."

Elliot shrugged. "It's all you. I'm not normally like this but I need you to understand how serious I am. All those years I tried to keep you away from other men because deep down, I always knew loved you and I didn't want anyone else to have you. I know now that was selfish…but you've always been mine Liv. Since the moment I met you."

Olivia leaned into Elliot, resting her head on his shoulders. He wrapped his arms around her.

"I love you Elliot. I really do. And I'm go to try really hard to let you in."

_Please let me know your thoughts. Love to hear your reviews!_


	29. Chapter 29

OK, here's a nice long chapter for you! I hope you enjoy it and are still enjoying the story. Pretty soon, Jack will make another appearance and we'll have some more drama. Please leave a review!

EOEOEOEOEOEO

Elliot placed his hands on Olivia's shoulders and pulled her away slightly. He placed a kiss on her mouth and then dropped back, pulling back her hooded sweatshirt slightly from her right shoulder and placing a gentle kiss there.

"So Ms. Benson. What do you want to do today?" He smiled at her. He ran his hands up her thighs until he reached the hem of her pajama shorts, and then toyed with the hem, brushing his fingers back and forth under the soft material. "We can do whatever you want. We have the whole day."

Olivia smile and raised an eyebrow. "Whatever I want?"

"Yep." He ran his hands back down her thighs, back towards her knees, squeezing lightly, and she shuddered slightly. Elliot smiled innocently at her.

She knew he was happy to get that reaction from her. _Cocky SOB._ "So…if I told you there was a new exhibit at The Whitney that I wanted to see, you'd go see that with me?"

Elliot made a face but quickly turned it into a slight smile. "I've been dying to see that exhibit Liv." He'd definitely had other thoughts about how to spend their afternoon, but he wasn't going to push her. Their discussion had told him she was still unsure about their future; about things working out. He didn't want her to think it was just about sex. But damn. Those long legs hanging almost down to the floor; and her on his lap. He could feel the heat from her and it was starting to drive him crazy. He tried to focus on what she was saying.

Olivia laughed, wondering if he would actually go if she asked him to. She was guessing that he probably would. "OK, great!" She climbed off his lap and started to pick up the dirty dishes from the table.

Elliot took the dishes out of her hand. "You go take a shower. I'll clean up. It'll take you longer to get ready." He bumped her hip with his and she put the dishes down.

"If you insist." Olivia walked into the bedroom and shut the door. She walked into the adjoining bathroom, and turned on the shower. She had no intention of dragging Elliot to The Whitney. She had _every _intention of dragging Elliot back to bed and spending the entire afternoon doing everything they'd wanted to do for the past seven years.

She brushed her teeth, then took off her hoodie, her pajama shorts and her tank top and rubbed lotion all over her body. She knew Elliot loved the smell because whenever she was close, she could hear him breathe deeply, inhaling the scent.

She walked into the bedroom and opened her lingerie drawer. She dug through the drawers, wondering what to wear. She finally decided on a lacy black bra and a matching thong. She took off the underwear she was wearing the put the black lace on. She studied herself in the mirror and thought he would probably like it. She pulled out a sheer black cover-up and pulled it over her head. It was long sleeved with a V-neck, made of some kind of stretchy material that hugged her body. It was sheer enough so you could see the underwear beneath, and went just to the tops of her thighs. She thought it added a little something and made her feel incredibly sexy.

She walked back into the bathroom. She picked up a dark eyeliner and darkened her eyes, creating a smoky look. Then she picked out a deep red lipstick and applied it along with some clear gloss over it. She stood back and looked in the mirror, swiping at the errant edges of the lipstick. She ran her fingers through her hair, messing it up slightly and pouted for the mirror. She smiled; this should get Elliot going. Especially since he was probably trying to figure out how to get out of going to the museum right now.

She walked back into the bedroom and debated how to surprise him with their change in plans. She could still hear him rattling dishes in the kitchen, but she assumed he would be done soon and would head into the bedroom to shower and change. She smiled, anticipating his reaction.

EOEOEOEOEO

Elliot was finishing up the dishes when he heard the shower stop running. He sighed. He didn't really want to spend his afternoon in a museum but he wanted to do things with Olivia that she enjoyed. He would try to make the most of it and just enjoy the time with her. The idea of spending time just doing normal things with her was still so foreign, and he knew that doing things like that would allow them to get to know the parts of each other they rarely saw. He also knew that having been raised by a college professor meant attending things like museums and cultural events he just wasn't used to. And he would drag her to ball games and the beach and teach her to play pool.

He finished up in the kitchen and waited a few more minutes to see if she was going to come out of the bedroom. He didn't want to interrupt her if she was still getting ready. He leaned against the counter, opening up a bottle of water and checking the messages on his phone. He saw he had a text from Kathy.

He thumbed open the message and saw it was a list of gift ideas for Kathleen. He had to get a birthday present for her and had asked Kathy for some ideas. The hit REPLY and thanked her for the list. Kathy responded with a reminder that they were having a birthday dinner next Saturday at the house. He replied that he would be there and closed his messaging. He looked at the bedroom door and realized he hadn't heard any sounds coming from the room for several minutes.

He went up to the door and knocked lightly. "Liv?"

He heard her respond from the other side. "Yes?"

"Can I come in? I need to jump in the shower."

"Come on in."

Elliot opened the door, and nearly dropped his bottle of water as he saw the sight before him. _Sweet Jesus_. Olivia was lying on the bed, one arm thrown over her head and her long legs crossed at her ankles, with a small smile on her lips. He felt a rush of heat that went straight to his groin as he took her in; black lace panties and a matching bra and a skin hugging cover-up, her long tanned legs, her dark eyes and her red lips. All in stark contrast to the white bedding. The image of her would be forever ingrained in his brain and he was instantly hard.

She ran her tongue across her top lip and Elliot's mouth ran dry. He couldn't stop staring at her and he felt like an ass as his eyes roved over her body again and again, but he couldn't process what he was seeing. She was so fucking sexy and the thought crossed his mind that the other men before him must have been insane to walk away from her.

"I changed my mind about what I would like to do today." She said, propping herself up on her elbows, and looking at him through lowered lashes. She bit her bottom lip and Elliot almost lost it right then and there. "I hope that's OK with you." She had lowered her tone and her voice sent another jolt through his body. She smiled again, a seductive smile that told him she knew exactly what affect she was having on him.

Elliot was frozen in place. He couldn't move; he couldn't speak.

Olivia sat up a little more, pushing herself up to rest on her hands stretched out behind her. "El?"

Elliot swallowed hard, trying to respond. "Yeah." He croaked out.

Olivia smiled again and moved again, getting up on her knees on the bed. "Are you going to just stand there?" She held out a hand towards him. "C 'mere."

Elliot set his bottle of water on the dresser and walked over to her. He stopped a few feet from her outstretched hand and looked at her lips, painted a deep red, and swallowed hard again. His eyes moved from her lips down to the lace bra, barely containing her full breasts…then down to the small black patch of lace barely covering her mound and his dick was throbbing with need.

"Jesus Liv. I…" He shook his head. "You look…_Fuck_." He couldn't even formulate a sentence.

Olivia smiled again. "So… you're OK with the change in plans?"

Elliot quickly closed the space between the, done with trying to speak. All of the blood had left his brain and pooled in his groin and he had lost all reasonable thought…and any semblance of control. He grabbed the sides of her face with his hands and crashed his lips on hers. He drove his tongue into her mouth and swiped her tongue with his, and she was kissing him back with as much frenzy as him. He pushed her back on the bed, never removing his mouth from hers, climbing over her body and pressing his groin against her core.

Olivia reached up and placed her hands on his shoulders and he quickly grabbed them and pinned them next to her head on the bed. She pushed against the restraint, but he held her hands down, grinding himself into her. Her moan was stifled by his mouth and he pulled back, looking down at the mess he'd made of her lipstick. Her chest was heaving as she tried to catch her breath, both from the weight of him against her and his possession of her mouth. Before she could completely catch her breath, he crashed his lips against hers again and their tongues tangling.

Olivia pushed against his hands again, but he held her tight. She tried to buck him off with her body. She wanted to use her hands…to touch his body, rip off his shirt, and feel his skin against hers. She tried to protest verbally, but he wasn't relenting, completely devouring he mouth. She could feel her body reacting; her nipples were taut against the lace of her bra and she was so wet between her legs. She ached, wanting to be touched. With his hands, his mouth, his dick…she didn't care at this point. She tried again to free her wrists but instead, he pulled both hands over her head and held them down with one hand while his other hand moved down and cupped her right breast. Olivia groaned as he massaged her breast over the lace, and ran his thumb across her erect nipple. She thrust her hips up into Elliot, but he was pinning her down with his.

He finally removed his lips from hers and looked down at her face. Her eyes were closed and her lips were swollen; her lipstick obliterated, and he wondered if it was on his mouth now. He ran his hand from her breast down her side and rested his hand on her hip bone. He lifted himself off her body slightly, and pushed one knee between her legs. He pushed his knee up against her and was rewarded with another moan from Olivia.

Elliot let go of her wrists and sat back, his body resting on the tops of her things, pulling his t-shirt over his head. Olivia tried to sit up, but couldn't with the way Elliot was straddling her body. She fell back and gave him a look…a look full of lust and desire…and his breath hitched. _He would never be able to look at Olivia the same way again._ He pulled away from her and stood up next to the bed, starting to pull down his sweatpants.

Olivia watched him from the bed, licking her lips as he kicked them off. "Hmmm." She said in a low moan and she saw Elliot's reaction. She pulled her legs up and knelt on the bed again, moving towards the edge of the bed. Elliot walked back over to meet her and put his hands on her hips. He ran his hands up her sides and moved them back to cup her ass.

"God Liv. You're absolutely fucking perfect."

Olivia's eyes flickered up to his and then back down to his chest. She leaned in and placed small kisses along his collarbone. She trailed her tongue from his collarbone down his chest, flicking his right nipple with her tongue and causing Elliot's body to jerk at the sensation. She put her hands on his arms and ran them up and down as she trailed her mouth back up his body. She kissed and sucked her way back up beneath his ear, and nipped at his earlobe. Her right hand dropped down and she ran her hand down the length of him, causing another groan to escape from his mouth. She ran her up and down a few times, squeezing lightly before she reached for the waistband of his underwear. She slipped her hand inside and grazed the tip of his penis, feeling the precum gathered there. She smoothed her hand over it and ran her hand down the shaft. Elliot pressed his body into her hand, loving the sensation of her hand on him. She dropped back down his neck and he groaned as she sucked on his neck; knowing that she was probably leaving a mark but finding no energy to give a damn. She started to trail down his chest again and he threaded his hand through her hair. She started to move lower and pulled her hand off him. He realized what she was about to do, and he stopped her with the hand in her hair.

"Liv" he rasped. "No." He didn't want that from her…he couldn't take it. Once her mouth touched him, he knew he wouldn't be able to stop himself from coming.

He looked down at her and saw she was looking up at him, a question in her eyes. "I can't…" She seemed to understand what he was saying and worked her way back up his body His hands reached around and cupped her ass, pulling her against him.

He ran his hands down her sides to the tops of her thighs, and then back up again, taking the cover-up with it. He pulled it up and over her head, tossing it on the floor. Her dark skin against the black lace was amazing and he ran her hands up to her breasts, palming them and placing open mouth kisses along the swell of each one. He reached around and unhooked her bra, pulling it off slowly and taking her left breast in his mouth.

Olivia groaned at the sensation of his mouth on her, and she felt another rush of moisture between her legs. He pushed her back down on the bed and she dropped her head back and closed her eyes as he moved back and forth between her breasts, using his hand and his tongue to drive her crazy. She was moaning and writhing beneath him and he smiled against her breast, pleased that he was driving her to the edge. He parted her legs with his knee once again and pressed up against her core. Olivia parted her legs a little more and he applied a little more pressure. He obviously hit her clit because a loud moan ripped from her throat.

Elliot pulled back and grabbed her shoulder, trying to push her over.

Olivia opened her eyes…confused. "What?" she asked in a husky voice.

"Roll over."

She looked at him with a questioning look, but she complied. And once again, Elliot was amazed at her relinquishing complete control to him. She rolled over and placed her hands beneath her head. Elliot dropped back down on top of her, resting on his hands and placing small kisses along her shoulder blades. He pulled back slightly and ran his fingers lightly down her back, following the trail with his tongue. Olivia's body broke out in goose bumps as he ran his tongue down her spine to the swell of her hips. He sat back farther on her legs and just looked at her ass in the lacy black thong. He ran his fingers along the lace that rested at the top and then let his fingers trail down to her ass.

"God Liv. I've always loved looking at your ass." He whispered, trailing his fingers down her ass. "I thought your ass looked incredible in jeans but I have to say…this is so much better."

Olivia just moaned as he continued to trail his fingers lightly over her ass. He leaned over and placed gentle kisses on her cheeks before sitting back up. He parted her legs slightly and Olivia tensed in anticipation. He slid his fingers towards her entrance, underneath the slight bit of fabric, and he moaned when he felt how wet she was. She lifted her ass slightly as he slid his fingers up her slit, finding her clit and rubbing her lightly.

Olivia pushed her ass back towards him. God she wanted to feel his fingers inside her. As if reading her mind, he slid his fingers back down to her entrance and slid a finger inside, surprised to feel how ready she was. He added a second finger, stretching her. He moaned as he felt her walls tight against his fingers, and he curled his fingers slightly as he stroked her inside, thrusting in and out gently.

Olivia was moaning and pushing back against his hand and Elliot could feel her body starting to tense. He pulled his fingers out and she groaned loudly in complaint. "El..." she gasped out. "Fuck..." He moved back up her body, kissing her shoulder blades as he lay down gently against her body. He rocked his groin into her ass, still wearing his boxers.

"Tell me what you want Liv." He whispered into her ear as he rocked himself against her. He knew he was going to lose it soon if he didn't get inside her, but he wanted to please her.

Olivia tried to turn over, twisting her body towards his. "Elliot. Fuck…I want you inside…now." she gasped and he lifted up so she could roll over completely. She reached down with her hands and pushed at the waistband of his boxers, her motions frenzied. He pulled them down slightly and she bent her leg to catch the waistband with her foot and pulled them down the rest of the way, releasing him from the confines of his underwear.

Elliot reached down and put his thumbs in the waistband of her thong, pulling it down quickly. He put both knees between her legs, pushing them apart and positioning himself at her entrance. Olivia's breath hitched and she felt him ready to penetrate her. He seized her wrists with his hands again and pressed his lips to hers.

"Liv…"

Olivia opened her eyes and looked into his eyes.

He smiled as pushed into her, watching the look on her face as she dropped her head back and closed her eyes, he mouth opening in a moan as he pushed in deeper.

"Jesus Liv." He whispered in her ear. "I never…god you feel amazing…never felt like this…" he mumbled into her ear as he filled her completely. He couldn't get over how tight she was…it was like they fit together perfectly. He held himself there as Olivia took in a deep breath.

"OK?" he asked.

"Hmmm." Olivia moaned and she pushed her body up against his. He moved his mouth against hers as he started thrusting slowly inside of her. He moved slowly and it was pure ecstasy and pure torture at the same time.

Olivia ripped her mouth from his. "Faster El…Harder…"

Elliot freed her hands and she started running them up and down his back, digging her nails in at each thrust. "Ohmyfug..." her voice trailed off with a moan and she pushed back against him, meeting him thrust for thrust. Elliot moved his hand down to her breast, running his hand across her nipple and he could feel her walls clenching around him.

"Fuck Liv. So good."

"Ohgodohgodohgod." Olivia moaned and Elliot reached down, grabbing her knees and pulling her open wider, thrusting deeper and she gasped, her entire body shuddered and he felt her walls clenching tightly, tightening against him and driving him over the edge with her. He thrust hard and released himself into her; the feeling of her clenched around him giving him immeasurable pleasure.

He thrust into her a few more times. His energy spent, he collapsed against her, quickly sliding slightly to the side as he felt the breath leave her as he crushed her beneath his weight.

"Sweet Jesus Liv…" he looked down at her flushed face and swollen lips and smiled. "I think I am completely addicted to you." He kissed her. He nuzzled into her hair, running his back and forth over her stomach.

_God, I am in so deep. _He knew he would never recover from her; there was no option than for this to work out. When he said he was addicted, he meant it. He had loved her for years; he loved everything about her. But now…he would never, ever be the same.

Olivia smiled and turned slightly, throwing her leg over Elliot's hip. "All the years I imagined this…" She rolled her eyes at Elliot's reaction. "I mean, we've had so much chemistry that I always imagined we'd be great together…but this is…"

"Fucking amazing?" Elliot smirked.

"There aren't even words." She pushed Elliot back and moved into the crook of his arm, resting one hand on his chest and looking into his eyes. "No one has ever made me feel like you do."

"Liv, you don't have to say that. I'm sure there has been others…"

Olivia put her fingers over his lips. "No. I mean, of course I've had sex and some of it's been bad and some of it's been good." She saw the scowl on Elliot's face but she kept going. "But never like this…" She lay her head on his chest. "I think that I've never really let go…I haven't trusted anyone like I trust you, and I never give up any control…so I think that's a big part of it."

Elliot couldn't believe she was sharing this with him. As much as he didn't want to hear about the other men she'd slept with, he knew that she was revealing something to him that she normally wouldn't, and he felt like that was a big step in the right direction. He decided he needed to share something too.

"Liv. I feel the same way. I mean, my sex life with Kathy was fine. I thought it was good. I mean, Kathy was my first love and the only woman I've made love to. But I never realized until you…how it could be. There will be part of me that will always love Kathy, because she was my first, and she's the mother of my children. And we had a good marriage. But we outgrew each other, and when I started to fall in love with you…I knew it was different. And now this…it's more amazing than I could have imagined.

Olivia still had her head on Elliot's chest and he was trailing his fingers up and down her bare back. "Maybe it's just so amazing because we've had all those years of foreplay…sexual frustration and all that."

Elliot laughed. "Maybe so, but I don't really care. Because we're here now." He kissed the top of her head. "So, what do you want to do for the rest of the day?" He asked. "Because I have to say, I'm pretty happy with the plans so far."

"The only reason you're getting out of this bed Elliot Stabler is for food and water. I'm happy right where I am." Olivia said, placing a kiss on his chest and snuggled back in.

_Please read and review! I love to get feedback. It keeps me going._


	30. Chapter 30

Thanks for your reviews of the last chapter. I really love to hear what you're thinking, even if it's just a couple of words. I see a lot of people reading the story, so you must be enjoying it. Thanks for your support!

EOEOEOEOEO

Olivia was half asleep, in that kind of haze where she was asleep but aware of her surroundings. She could feel Elliot's hand splayed across her back as she was snuggled into his side, one leg thrown over his and her head resting on his shoulder. She heard a sound in the background but her mind couldn't focus on what it was. She felt Elliot stir beneath her as he came out of his slumber.

"Liv." He croaked, his voice hoarse. "That's your phone." Olivia lifted up her head and saw her phone vibrating on the nightstand as it rang. She reached across Elliot's chest and snagged it, falling back at his side.

She flipped the phone open. "Benson." She answered, her voice groggy.

Elliot could hear a woman's voice on the line and he had one frantic moment when he thought it might be Kathy, asking Olivia what the hell her husband was doing in bed with her. Elliot shook his head, trying to clear the sleep from his addled brain. He wasn't her husband anymore; why had that thought popped into his head?

Olivia looked down at him as she replied. "Casey…slow down. I missed what?" Olivia paused. "Oh, SPIN class." Olivia looked down at Elliot and then away. "What time _is_ it? What? It's after 2?"

Elliot pushed Olivia on her back and ran his hand down her side, resting it on her hip. She put her hand on his chest, trying to push him back. "Casey, I'm sorry. I just lost track of time. I didn't know it was so late." She hesitated again, and Elliot could her Casey on the other end of the line, her voice loud. "I'm sorry. I know you hate that class. Why didn't you call me earlier to remind me?"

Elliot slid his hand over her stomach, and then started to move his hand lower. Olivia shot him a warning look as if to say _don't you dare_. She turned her focus back to the conversation. "Oh, well, I didn't get your text messages." Elliot's hand dipped between her legs and she hissed, clenching her legs together and shooting Elliot another dirty look. "Nothing's wrong Casey. I just got tied up…Yeah…I know I always have my phone but…OK OK. I owe you."

Olivia felt Elliot's hands slide lower, effectively prying her legs apart. He slid his fingers between her folds and found her clit, applying gentle pressure. Olivia's free hand flew to her mouth, stifling a moan. "Casey, hold on." She put her hand over the phone and hissed at Elliot. "Stop it! I'm on the phone."

Elliot grinned at her. "I know." He removed his hand. "I'm sorry. I'll be good." He slid off the bed and Olivia breathed a small sigh of relief.

"OK Case. I'm back." She watched Elliot as he circled down to the end of the bed. "What do you mean what happened with Elliot last night?" When she heard Casey ask the question, she panicked, thinking that somehow her friend knew. Then Casey reminded her of the scene at the bar. God that seemed so long ago. "Oh, nothing." She continued. "It was fine. He was upset but we talked and he dropped me at my apartment…" Olivia's voice trailed off as she saw Elliot climb back onto the bed, but this time he was climbing up the end of the bed, grabbing her legs and spreading them apart as he settled in between them. He looked up at her with a devilish grin and she felt a shudder run through her body at the thought of his mouth on her. She realized Casey had asked her a question because Casey was asking if she was still there. "Yeah…I'm here." She said, her voice shaky. "What did you say?" The last part of that sentence got lost as Elliot ran his tongue down her folds and she moaned into the phone. She pushed at Elliot's head with her hand, but he had his hands on her hips and was holding her tightly. "Casey…I…um…I have to call you back." She hung up the phone before another moan ripped from her throat.

"FUCK Elliot." She moaned loudly as his tongue hit her clit and she felt a rush of heat in her lower body. "You…" she gasped out. She wanted to yell at him for pulling such a juvenile stunt but all intelligent thought had left her as Elliot continued to work his magic with his tongue. Her hips wanted to thrust up but he held her tightly and her inability to move was driving her crazy. She grabbed the sheets with her hands and tried to twist around, letting an unintelligible string of words fly from her mouth. Elliot continued to suck and lick, increasing the pressure on her clit and she thought she wasn't going to be able to stand it another second when her orgasm ripped through her body, causing her entire body to clench as she yelled out.

Elliot climbed up her body, placing kisses along her stomach and breasts, causing her to jolt with each kiss. He nuzzled his lips against her neck as she tried to catch her breath. He slid to one side of her and watched her face as she recovered, loving the look in her eyes and the blush on her face and chest. Olivia opened her eyes and looked over at him. She saw the big grin on his face and she slapped his arm. "You ass!" she said, somewhat playfully. "I was on the phone with Casey! God, I think I moaned into the phone before I managed to hang up!"

He wiggled his eyebrows at her. "I know you did. And now she's going to wonder who your mystery man is."

Oliva shook her head and let out a huge sigh. She was going to have to call her back. She was hoping she hadn't heard her moaning. Olivia sat up, and grabbed the phone, crawling out of bed as she flipped it open. Elliot tried to grab her around the waist but she eluded him and shot him a dirty look.

"I'll be good. I promise." He said.

"That's what you said last time."

"Well, it was good wasn't it?" He grinned again.

"Like you ego needs another boost." She said. She walked into the bathroom and shut the door, glancing back at him with a smile as she did.

EOEOEOEOEOEOEO

Elliot was in the kitchen when Olivia emerged from the bedroom. She had thrown on a pair of yoga pants and a tank top with a long sweater over it. She saw that Elliot was in sweatpants, but had neglected to put a shirt on. She watched him for a minute before he was aware she was there, admiring how the muscles in his back and arms worked as he poured himself something to drink. When he turned to put the milk back in the refrigerator, he caught her staring at him and he smiled, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Hey." He said as she walked into the kitchen. "How was your talk with Casey? She suspect anything?"

"She always suspects something." Olivia said, grabbing Elliot's glass and taking a sip. "She already thinks we've been sleeping together for years and that I'm just withholding info."

Elliot smiled and leaned against the counter. "It would have been nice to not have wasted so much time. I mean, if everyone already thought…"

Olivia interrupted him. "No way. I would never be a mistress. Well…I mean, not now." She thought back to her younger days when she had been just that…a bad love affair with an older man. She shook her head. "You know that."

"I know. And I never would have asked you to be. I was just sayin'"

They stood in awkward silence for a few moments, each lost in thought of their earlier years together; when temptation had been high at times but they'd managed to keep their boundaries intact.

"So…" Elliot interrupted the silence and walked over to where she was leaning against the counter, caging her body with his. "What do you want to do the rest of the day?"

"Oh no…I'm exhausted and sore El. And I need food." She kissed him. "You can take me out to dinner."

"Deal." Said Elliot.

"I'm going to take a shower." Olivia said, pushing him away from her.

"Well, we probably shouldn't waste water." Elliot joked with her; actually hoping she might ask him to join her.

"El…"

EOEOEOEOEOEO

The rest of the weekend went by in a flash. They managed to run some errands and get the apartment cleaned up and even made a swing by Elliot's to pick up some clothes for him. They'd managed to try out his bed and the shower over the course of the weekend, and Olivia was truly exhausted. They lay on the couch on Sunday night, watching a movie and Olivia could barely keep her eyes open.

"I'm glad to be going back to work tomorrow so I can get some rest." She joked as she ran her hands up and down Elliot's chest. It has been an amazing weekend and part of her still couldn't believe this was real.

Elliot had his hand running across her lower back, dipping down into the waistband of her yoga pants periodically.

"El…you can stop that. We are _not_ having sex tonight." Olivia said, smiling against his arm where her head was resting.

"A guy can hope."

"Jeez El. You're like a teenaged boy. Who would ever believe you're some middle aged man?"

"Hey, I resent that. And…it hasn't been all me. Who tackled me in my bed at my apartment?"

Olivia laughed. "OK, I take the blame for that one." She sighed. She was so happy right now and she couldn't imagine being anywhere else.

EOEOEOEOEOEOEO

The next morning, Olivia and Elliot walked into the precinct together. They were used to be the first ones there, but today, Munch was already at his desk. He raised his eyes when the pair walked in, coffee in hand.

"Good morning Dynamic Duo." He said, looking at them over the top of his glasses. "I assume everyone had a good weekend?"

Olivia looked over at Elliott and he looked back at her, shrugging his shoulders. "It was fine. Just the usual stuff." He said. "How about you Liv? Did _you_ have a good weekend?"

"Yeah...just ran errands and cleaned the apartment. Got some exercise. The normal stuff." They had already discussed how to deal with things at work and agreed they'd need to be careful not to read too much into people's comments.

Olivia sat down at her desk and Elliot did the same. They both started in on their unending stack of paperwork, and gradually everyone filed in to the squad room. Olivia was on her second cup of coffee when Casey came walking into the squad room. She made a beeline for Olivia.

"Hey…can I talk to you a second? In private?" She nodded her head up towards the break are on the second floor.

Olivia looked up at her. "Sure." She stood up and followed Casey up the stairs, determined not to tell her anything. She had managed to assuage her suspicions on the phone on Saturday, but in person, Casey was on her game. That's what made her a good lawyer; she could get people to admit to the things they'd done. Olivia could feel Elliot's eyes on her back and as if on cue, she heard Fin make a comment to Elliot about keeping his eyes off of her. She smiled as she walked up the stairs, not daring to look back.

_Thanks for your reviews!_


	31. Chapter 31

_Thanks to all of the people that have been reading and a special thanks to those that have left reviews. It's strange though, that a lot of people haven't read Chapter 30, so I'm not sure why. I hope it's showing up OK. If you haven't read it, go back and read it before this chapter. Thanks again and please leave a review or comment! I love it._

EOEOEOEOEO

Elliot watched Olivia walk up the stairs. He smiled inwardly and shook his head lightly. For years, he'd had dreams about his partner; wondering what she was wearing under her clothes, wondering what she looked like naked. He thought that if he could just kiss her once…make love to her just once…he would stop being tortured by those thoughts. How naïve he'd been. Now that he'd seen her without her clothes on, had kissed her, and had made love to her…he would never be the same. He would never be able to look at her the same again. She was like the most potent drug ever invented and he was thoroughly addicted.

He heard Fin telling him to stop staring at her and he looked down at the paperwork on his desk. He thought back to their conversation this morning. She'd walked out of the bathroom wearing a baby blue bra and matching boy shorts and he'd almost choked on his coffee. He'd pinned her against the wall but she'd stopped him after a short time…something about having to get to work on time. He'd asked her why she was torturing him wearing something like that, and she'd told him that she wore underwear like that every day. He'd groaned at the thought. Now he couldn't get that out of his mind.

He startled slightly when someone touched him on the shoulder and he looked up and saw the Captain standing next to him. He'd been so lost in thought he hadn't heard him.

"Where's Olivia?"

"She's with Casey in the break area."

Cragen looked up in the break area. "Discussing a case?"

"Not sure." Said Elliot.

Cragen handed Elliot a message slip. "We got a victim at Mercy. She was raped last night but didn't report it right away. She's in Emergency now. You and Fin go interview her."

Elliot stood up and he and Fin took off for Mercy.

EOEOEOEOEOEOEO

Olivia sat down across from Casey. She as prepared for her to grill her about Saturday, and she hadn't really thought much about what she was going to say. She looked across at Casey and noticed that Casey looked uncomfortable; like she had some bad news.

"What's up Casey?" She hoped nothing had gone wrong between her and Aaron. "Is everything OK?"

Casey pursed her lips together. "So…I saw Jack yesterday."

That shocked Olivia a little. That wasn't what she'd been expecting to hear.

"Yeah?" she said, caution in her voice. She knew Casey had something to tell her, so she waited.

"Well… you know we talked about having the bachelor and bachelorette party together?"

Olivia nodded.

"Well, typically the maid of honor and best man plan it…"

"I know Casey. I already told you that I'd take care of it." She had known she'd have to talk to Jack again to plan the party, attend it, and attend the wedding. She wasn't looking forward to it, but she'd get through it for Casey's sake.

"Well, he asked me if I thought it was OK if he called you. You know, to set up some time to plan the party." She hesitated. "I didn't know how you'd feel about that. I mean, it's only been a little over a week." She shifted in her seat. "But the wedding's only 4 months away and we wanted to have the party in 10-12 weeks….so…"

"I know. We need to start planning and book a spot and get it on everyone's calendar."

"Well, Jack wanted to get together. So, I thought maybe the four of us could go out to dinner."

"Casey, you don't have to do that…"

"No. Aaron and I want to be involved anyway, so it's fine. We don't mind." Casey reached across the table, grabbing Olivia's hand. "I know this is hard for you."

Olivia stood up. "Casey, it's fine. We're all grown-ups. What happened is over. It's done."

Casey stood up too and walked over to her friend. "Well, that's good." She said, not really believing Olivia's words. She knew Olivia would be happy if she never had to see Jack again. "But we already agreed that we'd all have dinner on Friday night and plan the party." She put a hand on Olivia's shoulder. "So we're going to meet at McMahon's at 8. We already have a reservation."

Olivia sighed, and then smiled back at Casey. "Thanks Casey. It will be easier if you guys are there. I appreciate it."

Casey headed towards the stairs. "No problem Liv." She stopped at the top of the stairs and turned back to face Olivia. "Oh…and since you totally blew me off on Saturday, you have to meet me for SPIN tomorrow night. 7:00. Be there." She said as she walked down the stairs.

Olivia groaned. Casey hated SPIN but was dedicated to going…and to dragging Olivia along.

Olivia walked down the stairs and noticed that Elliot was gone. She looked over at Munch. "Where's El?"

"Mercy with Fin." He said, not even looking up from the computer.

Olivia sat down at her desk and thought about dinner with Jack on Friday night. She had to admit that it was a huge relief that Casey and Aaron were going to be there. Not that she thought anything was going to happen, but she was hoping that Jack would be on his best behavior with the two of them there. Her eyes flicked over to her partner's desk. Elliot was going to be another matter. He was going to flip out when he heard she was having dinner with Jack. She sighed. She debated not telling him. But then decided that wasn't a good idea. She wouldn't want Elliot keeping anything from her. She leaned back in her chair…she'd figure out a way to break it to him and tamp down his jealousy.

Olivia looked at her watch and saw it was only 10AM. This was going to be a long day.

EOEOEOEOEOEO

Eliot and Fin came back to the squad room around 1130 and the squad members stood around and discussed the details. They were just wrapping up and Olivia looked at her watch. It was a little after noon and she was starving. She looked over at Elliot as he walked back to his desk.

"Want to grab some lunch?" she asked and Elliot nodded. Olivia turned back towards her desk and was startled to see Kathy and Kathleen Stabler walking into the squad room.

"Where do you want to go?" Elliot asked, still facing Olivia.

"Dad." Said Kathleen, walking up and grabbing her dad by the arm. "Sorry we're late."

Elliot turned, obviously surprised to see them. "Late?"

"For lunch." Kathleen said in an exasperated tone. "You forgot?"

It came rushing back. Kathy and Kathleen were in the city for a mother-daughter day as part of Kathleen's gift, but Kathy had one appointment, so they'd planned to have lunch. With everything that had happened over the past few days, it had completely slipped his mind.

"Hi Olivia!" Kathleen said. She walked over to Olivia and gave her a hug.

"It's good to see you." Olivia said, hugging her back. "I know today's not your birthday, but Happy Birthday!"

Kathleen pulled back and looked over at her mom and dad. "Hey, I've got a great idea." She looked back at Olivia. "Can you come to my birthday dinner on Saturday night? I haven't seen you for so long, and I know my sisters and brother would love to see you." She turned back towards Kathy and Elliot. "That's OK, right?"

Olivia looked up and saw a startled expression on Kathy's face, but she quickly recovered and smiled back at Olivia. "That would be great. You haven't been to the house in a while."

Olivia looked up at Elliot to see his reaction but he was just standing there looking back and forth between Olivia and Kathy. She didn't know if she should accept or not. He obviously wasn't going to be any help.

Kathleen turned back to Olivia, bubbling with enthusiasm. "Please come Liv."

Olivia smiled. Of all the Stabler children, she was probably closest to Kathleen. She nodded. "I'd love to." She said, hoping that Elliot was Ok with her decision.

Kathy smiled. "That's great. Come over about 6." She looked at her watch. "I have to get going. I'll be back to pick you up at 2. Bye." She walked out of the squad room.

Olivia smiled. She didn't hear a lot of sincerity in Kathy's voice and was questioning her decision. She sat down in her chair. This was going to be a banner weekend for her. Dinner with Jack on Friday and dinner at the Stabler house on Saturday. She propped her elbows on her desk and put her head in her hands.

"Liv. Are you OK?" Elliot asked, concerned.

She looked up. "I'm fine." She smiled at Kathleen. "Have fun at lunch."

EOEOEOEOEOEO

The day was finally over and Olivia started to pack up her stuff. "I'm going home." She said, standing up.

Elliot looked over at her. "Need a ride?"

Olivia smiled. "Sure."

They walked out of the precinct together and headed towards Olivia's apartment. When they pulled up to the curb, Elliot turned off the car and Olivia looked over at him with her eyebrow raised.

"So…" She wasn't sure what she wanted to ask him. He was obviously expecting to come up, but they'd never really talked about their living arrangements. They had gone over to his apartment and gotten some clothes. He'd spent the weekend. But they really hadn't talked about anything beyond that. She was so used to living alone…and he had partial custody of his kids…so many complications.

It was as if Eliot could read her mind. "You don't want me to come up?"

Olivia paused. "No. I do. I just…well, we never really talked about how this is going to work."

Elliot nodded. "OK. Well, how about we order some dinner in and talk."

Olivia nodded. "That sounds like a good plan."

EOEOEOEOEOEOEO

Elliot closed the door behind him and grabbed Olivia's arm as she walked into the apartment, halting her progress. She turned towards him and he kissed her.

"I've wanted to do that _all_ day." He said, smiling at her.

She smiled back. "Me too." She pulled away from him and dropped her stuff on the side table by the door. She pulled open one of her kitchen drawers and pulled out a bunch of take-out menus. "What sounds good?" she asked.

Elliot came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, nuzzling his face in her neck. "Hmmmm. I've got a good idea."

"El…" said Olivia. "Focus." She waved the menus in front of his face.

Elliot pulled back. "Party pooper." He said, grabbing the menu from her hand and laughing. "I'll take care of it."

"OK. I'm going to take a shower and get rid of the grime from today." Olivia said, heading towards the bedroom. She turned as she reached the door. "And no, you can't join me Elliot. I just need a few minutes alone." She said, smiling at him. "OK?"

Elliot nodded. "Whatever you want Liv."

EOEOEOEOEOEOEO

Olivia stood in the hot shower, letting the water ease the stress of the day away. She didn't want to tell Elliot about dinner with Jack on Friday. And she wasn't sure she wanted to go to Kathy's house for dinner on Saturday. She sighed. This was all part of that 'outside world' that she didn't want to let in, but it seems like the outside world was going to force it's way in, whether she liked it or not. She sighed again. She had hoped to just enjoy being with Elliot and not have to have any more difficult discussions. But it seems life had other plans. Par for the course for her. She closed her eyes and let the hot water pour over her, trying to let it go…

EOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO

Olivia came out of the bathroom and saw Elliot had dinner laid out on the coffee table. He had ordered sandwiches from a deli and it looked great.

"I was worried you had drowned." He said, looking up at her as she walked in.

"Just needed to relieve some stress." She said. "I usually take a long hot shower when I get home."

"I have some other ideas on how you can relieve some stress." He said, wiggling his eyebrows at her as she sat down next to him.

Olivia smiled. "I love your ideas." She said, leaning in to kiss him. "But I really needed a few minutes to myself."

"I understand Liv." He put his hand over hers. "I always want you to tell me what you need. OK?" He kissed her cheek. "I may not always be the most open guy…but we're going to have to be honest to make this work."

Olivia nodded. "I know. I think we've had this discussion."

He laughed. "Yes, we did." He picked up a beer and took a swig. "I think work went pretty well today." He said. "It's kind of amazing that we kind of became Benson and Stabler once we got to the squad room. Only, instead of trying to picture what you look like naked, I could pull up a memory." He smirked.

Olivia slapped him on the arm playfully. "You're horrible."

"It's true!"

"You're right. But I think it's because we've had years of practice."

Elliot nodded. "That's true too."

They ate together in silence for a few minutes. Olivia was finished with her sandwich and took a drink of Elliot's beer.

"So…how is this going to work?" she asked. She saw a puzzled look on Elliot's face. "I mean…are we dating or …? 

"Dating?" Elliot thought about her question. Calling their relationship dating, or calling Olivia his girlfriend, really didn't seem to be enough to capture the essence of their relationship. Dating implied a casual relationship…getting to know each other and all that. They were way beyond that. "It seems like this is more than dating." He said, rubbing his knuckle against his right temple. "Right?"

Olivia shrugged. "I guess so."

"What would you call it?"

"I don't care what we call it Elliot. It's all just so confusing. I mean, this relationship is new. But we've been good friends for years…been attracted to each other for years. So in many ways, this isn't new. But I just don't know how we go ahead. We're already sleeping together…do we go out on dates? Are you just going to stay here now?"

"What do _you_ want to do?"

Olivia stood up. "This is up to me?"

"No." Elliot said, standing up too. "It's not but…" He reached out and grabbed her hands. "I love you. And I want to take you out and do all the normal stuff like take you to dinner, to the movies and all that. And I'd love to stay here as often as you'll have me, but I have to keep my apartment because of the kids." He tugged her hands and pulled her a little closer. "And I know we can't spend 24 hours a day together. I know you need your space." He kissed her. "So we'll take it at whatever pace you want"

Olivia let out a sigh. It was like he had read her mind…again.

"And you can call me whatever you want…" he kissed her on the nose. "Just as long as you keep your promise to model your entire lingerie collection to me."

Olivia laughed. "I never should have mentioned that."

Olivia pulled away and walked towards the kitchen. "I'm going to grab a beer since I drank half of yours. Do you want another one?" she asked and Elliot said he did.

Olivia walked back into the living room and handed Elliot his beer. "So are you OK with me going to Kathleen's birthday dinner?"

"Sure. Kathleen wants you there."

"You don't think it will be weird to have me there? I mean, no one knows about us."

"You've been at our house a million times Liv."

Olivia was quiet for a minute. She wasn't sure if she wanted to bring this up or not because she wasn't sure if she wanted to hear the answer. "El. Was there any part of your divorce that was because of me?"

Elliot's head snapped up. "No!" he said, a little too forcefully.

"C'mon El. Complete honesty. Remember?" She put her hand on his arm. "My name never came up when you and Kathy argued?"

Elliot hung his head a little. "I can't say that." He looked back at her. "She accused me of spending too much time with you. That I preferred spending time with you."

"Did she ever think we were sleeping together?"

"It came up. But mostly when she was angry. But I think she knew we didn't."

Olivia nodded, not sure if she believed him. "But we were still emotionally involved."

Elliot nodded. "We were. In the end, we just decided that we had grown apart. We were just staying together for the kids and that wasn't good for anyone. So, it wasn't your fault Liv."

"Do you think she knows? That she knew you had feelings for me?"

Elliot shook his head. "I don't know Liv. I honestly don't know." He smiled at her. "But it doesn't matter. We're not married any more. We're not doing anything wrong."

"I know. It's just…I feel like it's going to be weird being at your house. But I'll handle it."

Elliot leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. "I know you will."

Elliot picked up his beer and leaned back on the couch, taking a long drink. "So, if I asked you out on a date for Friday, what would you say?"

Olivia's breath hitched. _Damnit_, she hadn't wanted to have this conversation tonight on top of everything else. She gave Elliot a thin lipped smile. "Umm. I would have to say no."

Elliot looked surprised. That wasn't the answer he'd been expecting. He narrowed his eyes and then laughed. "You had me going there Liv."

Olivia sighed. "I'm serious El. I have plans. That's what Casey wanted to talk about." She leaned back against the couch and rubbed her hands over her face. "I'm going out to dinner with Casey and Aaron to plan their combined bachelor/bachelorette party."

Elliot screwed up his face. "The bride and groom don't typically plan that do they?"

Olivia shook her head. "No." She swallowed hard. "Jack's going to be there too."

"What?" Elliot said loudly. "Tell me you're joking." That asshole had caused a lot of trouble over the past week and there was no way Olivia was going near him again.

"I told you that I'd have to see him again. You _knew_ that." Said Olivia.

"Yeah, but that was some vague thing in the future. Jesus Liv, it's only been a week or so." He rubbed his hand over his face again. "Christ, you just found out you weren't pregnant."

Olivia let her head fall back. "Elliot…please. Don't overreact. What do you think's going to happen?"

Elliot stood up. "I don't trust him Liv. I don't want him around you."

Olivia stood up, anger lacing her tone. "You know I don't want to see him again, but I made a commitment to Casey and Aaron and I won't back down from that. It's just dinner."

"Then I'm coming along."

Now Olivia was really fuming. "I don't need a babysitter Elliot. Do you think I'm going to fall into bed with him? Is it him you don't trust? Or is it me?"

"Of course I don't think that!" He turned around and took a few steps away from her. "I just don't like the guy." He turned back around to face her. "Of course I trust you."

"Then why are you making such a big deal about this?" She had her hands on her hips. "I knew you'd flip out. I didn't even want to tell you because I didn't want to have this argument."

Elliot rubbed his hands over his short cropped hair and rested his hands there, trying to calm himself. He pursed his lips together and just looked at Olivia. She was still standing with her hands on her hips and a pissed off look on her face.

"Olivia." He said slowly…trying to keep his voice calm. "Of course I trust you. It's just that whenever that guys around, shit happens."

"You're basing that on one incident." Olivia said.

"Well, it was one hell of an incident." Elliot said and Olivia shrank back, hurt by his words and his tone.

"I think you'd better leave." Olivia said quietly.

"Liv." Elliot said, taking a step towards her. He felt awful. He knew she felt like he was attacking her but he just didn't want her seeing that asshole. It was irrational but he hadn't been able to stop himself. But now he could see how hurt and upset she was.

"Just go."

_Thanks for reading! Leave a review or comment._


	32. Chapter 32

_Thanks for your continued support! I love your comments and reviews._

_This is from the last chapter._

"Olivia." He said slowly…trying to keep his voice calm. "Of course I trust you. It's just that whenever that guys around, shit happens."

"You're basing that on one incident." Olivia said.

"Well, it was one hell of an incident." Elliot said and Olivia shrank back, hurt by his words and his tone.

"I think you'd better leave." Olivia said quietly.

"Liv." Elliot said, taking a step towards her. He felt awful. He knew she felt like he was attacking her but he just didn't want her seeing that asshole. It was irrational but he hadn't been able to stop himself. But now he could see how hurt and upset she was.

"Just go."

EOEOEOEOEOEO

"Olivia." Elliot walked towards her, but Olivia put up her hands in a defensive gesture. She didn't want to get into an argument with Elliot and right now, she knew that's where this was headed. She couldn't disagree with Elliot's comments, but it still hurt to hear him say it again. She'd known it was going to bother him but she just couldn't handle his anger and jealousy right now. She was too exhausted.

"Let's just talk tomorrow. I'm tired." She said.

Elliot sighed. He knew he'd fucked up by reacting like he had. But when it came to that asshole Jack Spencer….he just couldn't control his anger. All he could think about was he and Olivia having sex…and his anger flared. He took a deep breath and walked past Olivia on his way to the door. He stopped a few feet from the door and turned to look back at her. "Liv. I love you."

"I know El. I'll talk to you tomorrow." She said, her voice sounding sad.

Elliot opened the door and looked back one more time, wishing he could make things right. His anger and jealousy always got him in trouble, and he knew that if he was going to have a relationship with Olivia, he had to try to get his shit together. She wasn't going to put up with it. He walked down the hallway and stabbed at the elevator button. He was frustrated with himself; his anger boiled up and he lashed out at the elevator door with his foot, cursing as his foot hit solid metal. He took one look back towards Olivia's door, but it didn't open. He shook his head and headed for the stairs.

EOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO

Olivia woke to the alarm and was surprised she'd actually been sleeping. She felt like she had tossed and turned all night. Every time she had looked at the clock, only 15 or 30 minutes had passed. She was upset with herself that she'd told him to go. She hadn't really been mad…just disappointed in his reaction and hurt by his words. They had talked and talked about this thing with Jack, and yet, that jealousy flared once again and she just couldn't deal with it. She and Elliot weren't the best at communicating, and although it was getting better and she was amazed at the things they _had_ talked about, she knew it was going to be a work in progress.

She'd expected to get some text messages from Elliot, but she hadn't received any. She crawled out of bed and into the shower, wondering if he would call or text to pick her up like he had originally planned. She got out and went through her normal morning routine until she was ready to go. She kept checking her phone, but she didn't get any new messages. She sighed, looking at her phone again. She saw it was almost 7; time to get going. She opened her door and jumped back when she saw Elliot standing there, his hand poised to knock.

Her hand flew to her chest. "Jeez Elliot. You startled me."

"Sorry." He said. He handed her the cup of coffee he had in his hand. "I'm sorry for everything Liv."

Olivia raised an eyebrow but inside, her heart soared. The old Elliot would have stewed for days, refusing to admit to any wrongdoing or any role he played in their disagreement. They were both stubborn as hell and many times, that was the brunt of their problem. They would still be stewing days later, when they couldn't even remember what the disagreement had been about.

"You think you buy me coffee and I'm just going to forgive you?' she asked, not wanting to give in too easily.

"No, that's why I bought you a blueberry muffin." He said, holding out a bakery bag and making a pouting face.

Olivia shook her head, taking in his baby blues…giving her that look that only he could. She took the bakery bag from him and looked inside.

Elliot leaned against the doorframe with both hands. "Please don't be mad at me. I can't stand it."

Olivia looked up at him. "I want both muffins." She said, keeping a straight face.

"You can have whatever you want."

Olivia turned around and walked back into her apartment and Elliot followed. She went into the kitchen and grabbed one of the muffins out of the bag. She leaned against the counter and took a bite, and Elliot leaned against the counter across from her.

"So, you forgive me? I know I shouldn't have reacted the way I did."

Olivia smiled. "I wasn't really mad at you El."

"You could have fooled me."

"Elliot. OK, I was a little mad. But mostly I was just hurt, and frustrated. I haven't done anything to make you think you can't trust me."

"I know."

"You've always been overprotective and jealous El." She let out a deep breath. "And I know we talked about it already. But then when you got so angry so quickly last night…all I could see was that it was only going to escalate. And I didn't want to fight with you. I thought it was just best if you left." She walked over and placed a hand on Elliot's arm. "El. Guys are going to hit on me. Guys are going to ask me out. Make comments. It happens all the time. I can't have you going all Neanderthal on me every time."

"I know Liv. I know." He put his hands on her upper arms. "And I'm going to try. But it's going to take some practice." He rubbed his hands up and down her arms. "And with Jack Spencer…I just can't get the picture of the two of you out of my mind…"

Olivia put her hand on his cheek. "Stop it." She stroked his cheek. "Please. I'm sorry but I can't do anything to take it back. God, I wish I could." She put her other hand on his other cheek. "You have no idea." She leaned in and kissed him. "We'll get through the party and the wedding and I'll never see him again."

Elliot wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his chest. He sighed heavily, kissing the top of her head. "OK."

EOEOEOEOEOEO

The rest of the week flew by with a number of new cases and one long night Wednesday night. Any concerns they'd had about being able to keep their personal life out of work were unfounded. Olivia was surprised at how easily she and Elliot slipped into standard Benson and Stabler mode when they got the squad room.

It was late Friday afternoon and everyone was starting to wind down. Olivia was starting to dread the evening ahead, but she didn't want to let Elliot know she was uncomfortable with going.

It was 530 when Fin pushed back from his chair. "I'm done. I need a drink. Who's in?" he asked, looking at Olivia, Elliot and Munch.

'I'm in." said Elliot. "I don't have anything else to do."

Olivia rolled her eyes. "I'm out. Sorry. I have plans."

"I'll go." Said Munch. "I need a drink."

Elliot looked over at Olivia. "Can I talk to you a minute? In private?"

"Sure." She headed up to the break room and Elliot followed her. She turned when she got up there. "So, what's up?" she said, looking towards the stairs to make sure no one else had followed them upstairs.

"What time do you think you're going to be done with dinner tonight?" Elliot asked, pacing back and forth.

"I don't know. We're meeting at 8." She watched Elliot as he walked back and forth, and she knew that he was working hard to keep his anger and jealousy in check.

"I thought maybe I could come over when you get home."

Olivia smiled. "Oh, you did, huh?" she teased playfully. She knew there was a part of Elliot that really just wanted to come over to see her, but she didn't doubt that was another part of him that just wanted to make sure Jack was nowhere near her.

Elliot nodded, raising an eyebrow at her.

"That should be fine. I can't imagine dinner will go much past 10." She wanted to reach out and touch him, give him a small measure of comfort, but she knew she couldn't. "I'll text you when I'm leaving, OK?"

"I'll be waiting." He looked at her, wanting to kiss her, but shook his head. "I'm going to meet the guys for a drink." He headed towards the stairs. "I'll see you later."

Olivia winked at him. "Count on it."

EOEOEOEOEOEOEO

Olivia got ready, choosing a simple black dress to wear to dinner. She liked it because it didn't show too much cleavage or too much leg. She didn't want to give Jack any reason to think she was interested. No one knew she was involved with Elliot, so as far as they were concerned, she was single.

She finished with her make-up and hair and headed down to catch a cab. Once she was in the cab and headed to the restaurant, she fished her phone out of her purse. She saw she had a few text messages from Elliot. It was obvious they were still at the bar and he was sending her messages, telling her things like the guys were all missing her etc. etc. She was glad he was keeping it non-personal since she didn't want to raise any suspicion with Fin and Munch there at the table with him.

She sent him a quick text back as they pulled up to the upscale restaurant, letting him know she was there and wouldn't be able to text him back. She looked at the time and saw she was a few minutes late. She walked into the restaurant and saw a small group of people waiting; but no Casey and Aaron. She approached the maître de and he had someone escort her to the table. She saw the three were already seated, and Aaron and Jack stood up when she approached.

"Good to see you Olivia." Said Aaron, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

She smiled. "Good to see you too."

Jack leaned in, placing his hand on her waist and giving her a kiss on each cheek. "Beautiful as always Olivia." He said with a smile. "Good to see you again." He pulled out her chair and she sat down, smiling at Casey across from her. Jack sat to her left and Aaron to her right.

"Would you like some wine?" Aaron asked. Olivia noticed their glasses were almost full, so they must have just arrived.

"Sure. That sounds great." She had already told herself she wasn't going to drink a lot tonight. Just one or two glasses of wine.

They made small talk, catching up on wedding details. Aaron and Casey had recently decided on a honeymoon spot, so talk shifted to that and other travel and Olivia started to relax. Jack was on his best behavior and wasn't acting his usual, brash self. She was certain that Casey probably had something to do with that; she could envision Casey giving him a speech prior to dinner.

Their dinner came and as Olivia started to eat, she could feel Jack's eyes on her.

"So Olivia, how are things going for you?" Jack asked. Most of the conversation had centered on Aaron and Casey, and that was how Olivia liked it. She didn't want to divert the conversation back to her. But she could see that Aaron and Casey were discussing something between themselves, so obviously Jack had seen an opening.

Olivia gave him a small smile. "Fine."

"How's that partner of yours?" He shook his head and took a sip of wine. "He's quite a hothead. I don't know how you work with him every day."

Olivia took a deep breath. "He's my partner. He gets upset when he thinks someone's trying to hurt me." If he was going to start this conversation, she wasn't going to hold back either. Her eyes flicked over to Casey, but she could see they weren't paying any attention.

"Hmmph." Jack let out a small grunt. "You two hook up yet?"

Olivia took in a deep breath. She was not going to let him bait her.

"Jack, we're here to discuss the party. We're not here to talk about my personal life."

Jack smiled. "So he _did_ nail you."

Olivia shook her head. Here was the Jack Spencer she expected. Apparently a few glasses of wine was all it took for him to turn back into his normal, piggish self.

Olivia turned back to her dinner, ignoring him.

"Casey." She said and her friend stopped talking and turned her attention back to Olivia.

"Yeah Liv?"

"Let's talk about the party." She said, ignoring Jack.

Casey smiled. "Sure. So here's what we were thinking." Casey launched into her ideas for the party, including various venues and the guest list. Olivia peppered her monologue with questions, and they finished their dinner while they talked.

Jack remained fairly quiet throughout the conversation. They wrapped up that conversation, agreeing on everyone's actions.

The waiter came and asked about dessert and everyone declined, full from dinner.

Olivia excused herself to go to the ladies' room. She pulled out her phone when she was done, seeing it was already close to 10. She had just one more text message from Elliot, reminding her to text him when she was headed home.

She looked up as Casey walked into the restroom.

"Hey. I think everything went well tonight, don't you?" asked Casey. "I threatened Jack to be on his best behavior. And he actually listened to me. I didn't think he had it in him." She said, pulling her lipstick out of her purse.

"Yes, it was nice." She had to admit that despite the few uninvited comments, Jack really had been behaving fairly well. A few random comments had been the extent of it.

"So, we're going to go out for an after dinner drink." Casey said. "There's a cozy bar just half way down the block."

Olivia was about to say no, but before she could say it, Casey interrupted. "Just one drink Liv. Please? We're having such a fun night."

Olivia sighed, looking at the hopeful look on her friends face. One drink would be fine. She'd still be home by 11.  
"OK Casey. One drink can't hurt."

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	33. Chapter 33

_Loved all the reviews after Chapter 32. I always love hearing your thoughts! Keep them coming. _

EOEOEOEOEO

Elliot had been home since about 8. He had finished up drinks with Fin and Munch and stopped to get some dinner to go. He had parked himself in front of the TV, surfing through all the channels while he ate. He finally settled on a baseball game, but his attention really wasn't on the game. He kept looking at his watch and wondering what was happening at dinner. He trusted Olivia – he really did. But he didn't trust Jack Spencer to keep his hands to himself. And even though he knew Olivia would put him in his place, he still didn't like the idea of him being anywhere near her.

The game ended and he looked at his watch one more time. He saw it as almost 10:00, and he picked up his phone, wondering if he had missed a message. It had been a hectic week at the precinct and the only night he'd been able to stay over at Olivia's was last night. And they were both so exhausted, they'd barely had enough energy for a little make-out session before they both crashed. The week was a far cry from this past weekend, and he wanted to get _this_ weekend started in the same fashion as the last one.

He picked up the mess from dinner and took it into the kitchen, throwing away the trash and stashing the leftovers in the refrigerator. He looked at his watch again. 10:10. He picked up his phone. No messages. He scrubbed his hands over his face and sighed. He decided he would take a quick shower to kill some time and wake himself up a bit. Maybe by that time, Olivia would be on her way home.

EOEOEOEOEOEO

Olivia and Casey walked ahead of Jack and Aaron as they made their way to the bar.

Casey looked over at Olivia. "Thanks for coming to dinner tonight. I know you were probably dreading it, but I think it went alright, don't you?"

Olivia smiled at her friend, knowing how much Casey wanted everything to work out. "It was nice Casey. Thanks to you and Aaron for buying, by the way."

"You know, I think Jack is really trying to be less…" her words trailed off as she tried to think of the right word.

"Of an asshole?" Olivia offered and Casey broke into laughter.

"Liv…" she said, once she'd recovered. "I think he really likes you and wishes things hadn't happened like they did."

Olivia practically stopped on the sidewalk, giving Casey an incredulous look. "No Casey. No. I don't know what you're thinking but whatever it is…no."

Casey glanced back and could see Aaron and Jack talking about ten feet behind them. "I'm not thinking anything Liv. I'm just saying…"

"Listen. We're going to have your party and we're going to have a great time. And your wedding is going to be amazing. And then I won't ever have to see him again except at the occasional party you have where we both happen to be there. End of story." She smiled at Casey. "OK?"

Casey nodded as she came to a stop. "OK Liv." She glanced back at the guys. "We're here."

Aaron opened the door for them and they walked inside. Olivia saw that it wasn't really a bar. It was more of a lounge. There was a jazz ensemble playing and there were curved, high back booths on the perimeter of the space, some tables in the middle, and a small dance floor.

"Oh, dancing." Said Casey. "This is great!" She grabbed Olivia's arms and pulled her towards one of the open booths. They both slid in and then Aaron slid in one side next to Casey and Jack slid in next to her. Olivia didn't miss the fact that Jack's thigh connected with hers as he slid in. He didn't move it, so she slid just a little closer to Casey, trying to put a little space between them.

She leaned in to Casey. "Case. I agreed to one drink." She could see that Aaron and Casey were settling in and she knew that Casey loved to dance. They could be here until the place closed.

"You don't have to have more than one drink." Said Casey, bumping Olivia's shoulder with her own. "But we're going to have some fun!"

Olivia groaned inwardly. She felt like Casey had set her up, misleading her with the talk of a bar and one drink. She was starting to think that Casey thought if she could get Olivia to spend a little more time with Jack, that maybe they could be friends. However, if that was what she was thinking, then Casey was delusional. She had no interest in being friends with Jack.

She turned to tell Casey that she was sorry to disappoint her and that she was leaving soon, but saw that Aaron had his arm wrapped around Casey's shoulder and pulled her close, and they were kissing. Perfect. She looked to her right and saw Jack staring at her. He put his arm up on the back of the booth behind her.

"You know…you really are stunning." He said.

Olivia rolled her eyes. Was this his way of trying to be charming?

"I'm serious. Any guy in here can clearly see you're beautiful, but really, you're stunning."

Olivia game him a half smile. She hated getting comments on her looks; it had been ingrained in her at a very young age that her looks would only get her in trouble. "Thank you."

He kept staring at her, and it was making her uncomfortable. "Let's get that drink." She said, and Jack waved his arm, motioning for a waiter.

Normally, Olivia would drink beer when she was out with the guys, and she avoided drinking hard alcohol for the most part, so she agreed when Jack ordered some red wine.

Casey nudged her in the arm and Olivia turned to look at her. "We're going to go dance." She said. "You two should come out."

Olivia shook her head. "No. I don't want to dance." All she really wanted was for this night to end.

"C'mon Olivia. How about just one dance?" Jack said, shooting her a big smile. He stood up and held out his hand and Olivia hesitated. She didn't really want to dance with him…but one dance couldn't be that bad. She nodded and slid toward the end of the booth. Jack grasped her by the elbow and helped her out of the booth, but kept his arm locked with hers as they walked out to the dance floor. Olivia looked around noticing all of the couples snuggled together and swaying to the music and thought about Elliot. Even though she couldn't picture him here, she really wished it was him that she was dancing with.

Jack removed the space between them, and placed his hand on the small of Olivia's back, taking her left hand with his right. Olivia moved her right hand to his shoulder, and they started to dance. The dance felt awfully intimate to her and she marveled that she could be uncomfortable since she'd actually had sex with this man. What could be more intimate than that? She couldn't wrap her head around that. Her only excuse being that it was dark and it was fast and she'd been slightly drunk. Now she was sober…or mostly so. And she felt awkward having him hold her like this.

She realized he had been saying something and she returned her focus back to him. "I'm sorry, what did you say?" she asked.

"I was asking you if you got the opportunity to go out dancing often?" he asked.

Olivia actually laughed. "Um. No." She paused for a moment. "I don't go out that often." She said, thinking back to her social life for the past decade.

"Right." Said Jack. "I bet you get asked out all the time." He said.

"It's hard to keep many dates with the job I have." She said, shrugging her shoulders lightly. "Lots of long hours and late nights."

Jack leaned in a little closer. "That's too bad, because you're a good dancer." He said, smiling down at her.

Olivia pulled back quickly; the way Jack was looking at her, she thought he may try to kiss her and that wasn't going to happen. And right then, the song ended and people stopped dancing to clap. Then the next song started up and Aaron and Casey walked over.

Aaron held out his hand. "Olivia?" he asked, pulling her over towards him. "Now you have to dance with me." Olivia looked over and saw that Casey was now dancing with Jack, so she nodded her head and started dancing with Aaron.

EOEOEOEOEO

Elliot got out of the shower and checked his phone right away. It was almost 11, and still no calls or messages from Olivia. They had to be done with dinner by now. He picked up the phone, ready to send her a text to see where she was…and then he closed the phone. Trust. He trusted her and she said she would text him when dinner was over.

He wondered if he should start driving over to her apartment; she had to be home soon. Could he let himself in with his key and just surprise her? No…that probably wouldn't go over too well. He could wait in the car outside her apartment. No…he couldn't see that going over well either. She would think he was checking up on her.

He plopped down on the couch, frustrated. Where the hell was she?

EOEOEOEOEOEO

Olivia was dancing with Aaron and when the song ended, they all started to make their way back to the booth. They all reclaimed the spots they'd had previously, and Olivia could see that that waiter had brought the wine. Aaron uncorked it, and poured them each a glass.

"A toast!" he said. "To the two most beautiful women in New York!"

Olivia and Casey both rolled their eyes, but clinked their glasses anyway. They were all chatting and drinking their wine and Olivia had to admit that she was having a better time than she expected. Jack was behaving himself this evening, and except for the few rude comments he'd made at dinner, she could see now why he and Aaron were friends. She still had no interest in being friends, but she thought they could probably get along well enough from now until the wedding. As long as he stayed on his best behavior.

The waiter came by and asked if they wanted to order anything else, and Casey decided she wanted some dessert. They ordered a couple of different desserts to share and Aaron ordered another bottle of wine.

Olivia leaned over to Casey. "I really have to get going." Said Olivia. She knew it must be almost 11 and she had told Elliot she didn't think it would go much later than 10.

"Where do you have to rush off to?" Casey asked. "And don't tell me you're tired and you want to go home and go to bed." She put a hand on top of Olivia's. "Come on, we're having fun. We never get to go out like this together."

Olivia sighed and smiled at her friend. She was right; they never did get to go out like this. But she really wanted to see Elliot.

"I'll stay for dessert, but then I have to get going."

EOEOEOEOEOEOEO

Elliot looked at the time for what felt like the 400th time that evening. It was 11:30 and now his emotions were alternating between anger and worry. _Where was she?_ He wanted to text her so badly…but had resisted the urge so far. Was she testing him to see if he really did trust her? He was working hard to keep his anger in check. How hard was it to drop him a text letting him know that things were running later than planned? He wished he had asked her where they were going for dinner so he at least had some idea of where she was. But he hadn't asked and she hadn't offered.

He turned the TV back on and tried to find something to watch that would take his mind off Olivia.

EOEOEOEOEOEO

They finished dessert and Olivia pulled her napkin off her lap. "I'm sorry. It's been a wonderful evening but I really have to be going."

"You're going to leave me here all alone?" asked Jack, shooting her a grin. "I'll be the only person here without a date."

Olivia gave him a pointed look. "We're not on a date." She said.

"Aw, c'mon. Don't leave." He said, putting his hand on her thigh, just above her knee and squeezing slightly. "We're having a good time."

Olivia tensed beneath his hand and she hissed at him. "You have two seconds to remove your hand before I break it." She said.

Jack laughed, and then realized by the look on her face that she wasn't joking. He started to remove his hand, but not before he slid it up her thigh halfway, taking the dress with it. "Take it easy. I wasn't doing anything." He said, giving her thigh one last squeeze before he removed his hand completely.

Olivia shook her head. Here she was, thinking that maybe he wasn't as much of an ass as she'd originally thought, when his true colors shone through. I guess being on your best behavior had a time limit.

Olivia shook her head. She wanted to tell him off, but Casey and Aaron had been oblivious to the last few seconds, so she left it.

"Let me out." She said, and Jack started to slide out of the booth. Olivia turned towards Casey. "I'm going. I'll talk to you later." She looked over at Aaron. "Thanks for everything."

"OK. Bye Liv." Said Casey, giving her friend a hug.

Aaron slid out of the booth. "Are you OK to get home?" he asked as he gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"I'm armed" said Olivia, smiling. "I'll be fine."

She turned and saw Jack was still standing there. "I'll walk you out." He said.

"That's not necessary." Olivia said. "Nor desired." She couldn't resist throwing that last zinger in there.

"I insist." Said Jack.

Olivia sighed as they walked out of the lounge. There was a line of cabs and Olivia told the attendant she needed one.

Jack spoke up. "I think I'm going to go home too." He put his hand on the small of her back and leaned in, dropping his hand slightly lower. "How about we share a cab? I'll drop you and go from there."

"No." said Olivia. "I don't think that's a good idea." She stepped away from him, and his hand dropped to his side.

Jack raised his eyebrows at her. "Worried you won't be able to control yourself?"

Olivia's jaw dropped open slightly. The ego of this man was unbelievable. She closed the distance between them, licking her bottom lip seductively. She could see a grin spread across Jack's face. She got close and leaned in, her lips inches from his ear.

"If you ever touch me again, I will knee you so hard you will never, ever be able to have sex again. Fuck off Jack." She pulled away and spun around, walking into the nearest cab and sliding in. When the attendant closed the door, she turned to see a very angry looking Jack Spencer standing on the sidewalk.

EOEOEOEOEO

Olivia pulled out her phone and checked for messages. She gasped when she saw the time. It was almost 12:30AM! Where had the night gone? Elliot was going to be furious. She debated whether she should text him or call him, and decided to text him. Diffuse the anger a bit. She knew if she got him on the phone he would be on a tirade.

She compose a text_. So so sorry. Didn't realize how late it was._ _Still want to come over?_ She hit SEND, preparing for the angry return text. She waited a few minutes and was surprised that she didn't get a reply. She waited a few more minutes and then composed another text. _El? Please don't be mad. _ She hit SEND again as the cabdriver pulled up to her apartment building. She paid him and made her way up to her apartment.

Once inside, she kicked off her heels and stripped off her clothes. She put her hair up and jumped in the shower, needed to get refreshed and wake herself up a bit. She got out of the shower and used the lotion she knew Elliot liked. She let her hair down and brushed her teeth. When she walked back into the bedroom, she still didn't have any messages from Elliot. She frowned and sat down on the edge of the bed. He must really be upset with her and she debated if she should call him or let it go until he contacted her. He was probably just fuming and trying to calm down. She decided to compose one more message. I'm here and I'm waiting for you. Come over please. Let yourself in. No matter what time. She hit SEND, hoping he understood that she wanted to see him, whenever he was ready to see her.

She walked over to her dresser and pulled out a white satin nightgown and some matching satin panties. The nightgown had spaghetti straps and went to the top of her thighs, and she hoped Elliot would like it. She went out and made sure the door was locked, made sure she had her phone on the nightstand and crawled into bed.

Thanks! Please leave a review or comment!


	34. Chapter 34

_Loved, loved, loved all of your comments! Please keep them coming. _

EOEOEOEOE

Olivia closed her eyes and tried to relax, but she couldn't fall asleep and kept checking her phone every few minutes. Elliot must be really upset with her if he was completely ignoring her texts. She knew she screwed up; she should have texted him when it started to get so late. But honestly, she hadn't realized how late it had really gotten and by that point, she was just focused on getting the hell out of there and away from Jack.

She swung her legs around and sat up at the edge of the bed, considering her options. If he was really pissed, she didn't want to push him and then get in a huge fight. She had to let him get a hold of her on his own terms. He wouldn't talk until he was ready to. She looked at the time – 2:00AM. Maybe he had just fallen asleep? She didn't think that was likely…she knew he would be waiting and wondering, probably wearing a path in this carpet. She felt a pang of guilt then. Maybe she should get dressed and go over there. But what if she went over there and he wouldn't let her in? Or worse yet, wasn't there? What if he had gotten mad and gone out and done something stupid? For a moment, she thought perhaps she should check on the welfare of Jack…Elliot hadn't been too happy about her seeing him again, and he may have jumped to the wrong conclusion when she was late. He had a history of letting his anger and jealousy take over any rational thought.

Damn it. She moved from guilt to anger. She was angry with herself for letting Casey guilt her into going out after dinner. She was just so focused on making sure that the situation between her and Jack didn't ruin any of Casey and Aaron's plans; Just because she was an idiot and had sex with that asshole didn't mean Casey and Aaron had to worry about how it was going to affect everything. She had wanted to show them that she was perfectly capable of handling it. She'd been so caught up in those thoughts that she hadn't thought about how Elliot would feel; or react when she was late.

She ran her hand through her hair. She sucked at relationships. She knew if Elliot was going out with some old fling, she would have a hard time with it. Even though Elliot didn't have any old flings she knew about _and_ he knew she hated Jack. She had asked him to trust her, but this 'event' with Jack was just so recent, and this part of their relationship was so new, she knew that was asking a lot.

She grabbed her phone, deciding she was going to call Elliot and take whatever he had to say; she knew she probably deserved it.

EOEOEOEOEOEO

Elliot woke up with a start. Despite his best efforts to stay awake, he had fallen asleep on the couch. He swung his legs off the couch and groaned at the stiffness in his neck from lying in such an awkward position. He looked at the clock and saw it was just a little before 2. He snatched his phone off the coffee table and saw he had three messages from Olivia. _Thank God_. If he hadn't heard from her, he didn't know what he was going to do.

He opened up his messages and read through all of them. He gave a sigh of relief. Just knowing that she was OK, and safe and sound at home made him feel better. He looked at the time the messages were sent and saw that the first two were sent about 12:30 and the last one closer to 1AM. _What the fuck?_ Where had she been until 1AM? And with who?

Now that he knew she was OK, his worry turned to anger. He'd been dying to see her all night, and she had just gone out, apparently with no concern or desire to see him. And to make it worse, she was with that fucking Jack Spencer. _What was it about that guy?_ Olivia claimed to hate him…but she'd just spent an entire night with him. Way behind a normal dinner. So where the hell had they gone. And why? And where Casey and Aaron with them…or not?

He dropped the phone back down on the coffee table. _Fuck her_. He wasn't going to call her. He could tell from her last message that she was starting to worry if he was mad at her. Well, she was right to be worried. _Come over, not matter what time_. Did she think she was going to be able to fuck her way out of this? Make him forget by teasing him with her body? Playing on his desire for her? Wasn't going to happen. No way.

He got up and paced back and forth. The problem was…he knew that if he did go over there, she might be able to do just that. He was in so deep. He loved her so much. Every part of her; mind, soul and body. Damn-that body…and those lips. He had waited so long to have her and now that he had, he was addicted. He would pretty much do anything for her at this point. He didn't know how long he could stay mad at her, but she needed to understand that she couldn't do shit like this. She'd asked him to trust her and he did…but she had really pushed it tonight.

He sat back down on the couch, debating what he should do. He could already feel his anger dissipating to some degree. He just wanted to see her and to know what the hell had happened tonight.

He was still arguing with himself over what to do when his phone rang. He sat and stared at it for a moment; he hadn't made up his mind yet about what he wanted to do. He reached out and snagged the phone, just holding it in his hand while it rang. After the fourth ring, he answered it, but didn't say anything.

"El?" He heard Olivia's voice on the other end, and all of the worry and anger came rushing back.

"Where the hell have you been?" he lashed out.

"I'm sorry. Time just got away…" she started.

"Really? That's your story? You didn't get home until 1AM Olivia. What the fuck?" He didn't get a response and he was certain she was trying to figure out how to calm him down; what to say. "You didn't think that I might have been worried about you? That something had happened to you?"

"I didn't think…" she started but Elliot cut her off again, his anger full blown now.

"Were you or were you not with Jack Spencer until 1AM?"

He heard Olivia's breath hitch. "It wasn't like that Elliot."

"It's a simple question Olivia." He knew that by using her full name, she knew how really pissed off he was.

"Dinner went late and Casey and Aaron wanted to go out for a drink and dancing and…" she said it all in a rush, trying to get it all in before Elliot could interrupt her again, but no such luck.

"Dancing? You went drinking and _dancing_?" Elliot yelled into the phone. Because really? He had been waiting, excited to see her…and then worried…and she'd been out _dancing_? This really was unbelievable.

"Elliot. You're not letting me finish." Olivia said, desperately trying to explain. But he was right. As soon as she'd said it, she realized how really inconsiderate she'd been.

"By all means Olivia. I can't wait to hear the rest. Because I want to hear all about your evening with Jack's hands on you…really, I can't wait to hear the rest. Drinking, dancing. While the man you profess to love is home waiting for you. Does it end with a quickie in the cab?" As soon as he said it, he knew he'd gone too far, but he couldn't take it back now.

Olivia gasped and tears sprung to her eyes. Is that really what Elliot thought of her? She'd certainly made a huge mistake at Casey's engagement party, but that wasn't her. Of course, what did he know about her private life? Her sex life before him? He obviously believed her life was full of casual sex and one night stands. She swallowed hard. She didn't even know what to say.

Elliot could hear her crying on the other end. That kind of quiet crying that you think no one can hear, and he immediately felt like a prick. He hadn't meant to say any of those hateful things to her…his anger had taken over once again. He wanted to kill Jack Spencer. He felt like that asshole would always be between them. He sighed heavily, his anger starting to dissipate.

"Olivia." He said evenly, the emotion and anger gone from his voice.

Olivia didn't trust herself to speak. She wanted to be mad at Elliot for thinking that's how she would behave. She wanted to tell Elliot exactly what she'd said to Jack at the end of the night. But she was hurt by his words…and angry with herself because she knew she had no one else to blame. She was no good at relationships and now she'd fucked up the one she cared about more than anything. There wasn't anything she could say that would make this alright. At least right now. They were both too hurt and angry.

She opened her mouth to say something, but really, what could she say? "I'm sorry. Goodbye Elliot." She said with a whisper and hung up the phone. She dropped the phone on the bed and curled up, sobbing. She hadn't cried like this in so long. She wanted to kick herself. She knew she sabotaged other relationships; never letting anyone in. Never investing any emotion. But she'd told herself that was because she'd always loved Elliot and no one else could ever measure up. But now she _had_ Elliot. And she'd still managed to make a mess of things…after just one week. Her rational mind told her it was just a fight, and that surely they'd get over it. But the wine and the emotion just wouldn't let her rational mind take over.

She heard her phone ringing but she ignored it. She couldn't talk right now. It rang a few more times and she turned the ringer off. She got up off the bed and went into the bathroom, splashing cold water on her face. There wouldn't be any sleep for her tonight.

She walked back into the bedroom and whipped off the satin nightgown and satin panties, throwing them on the bed. She grabbed a sport bra and some cropped yogas. She was going to punish herself with a workout. Something…anything…to take her mind off this and work out her anger and her sadness. Thank goodness her gym was open 24/7. She put on socks and tennis shoes, snagged her keys and headed out the door, leaving her phone. It was 3AM…who the hell was going to call her except for Elliot. And she couldn't talk to him right now.

EOEOEOEOEO

Elliot called Olivia back 6 times in a row, but it kept going to voicemail. _What the fuck?_ He was so frustrated right now. He knew he'd hurt her with what he said, and he just wanted to apologize and ask her if he could come over so they could talk. Right now, he knew that she was overdramatizing this entire thing. She wasn't used to these kinds of fights in a relationship. He knew that none of the relationships Olivia ever had were deeply emotional…and he doubted she'd had any fights like these. And if she had, she would simply end the relationship. He, on the other hand, had 20+ years of fighting with his spouse. He hoped she knew that this wasn't the end…that couples fought like this. Especially when they were in as deep as they were.

He scrubbed his hands over his face. Fuck it. He was just going to go over there. And if she wouldn't let him in, he would let himself in with his key. He needed to apologize for what he'd said to her. He also needed to let her know that what she'd done wasn't right. And he needed to tell her how much he loved her.

He put on his shoes, snagged his keys and walked out of his apartment.

He got in the sedan and drove the few short miles to her apartment. He parked outside and let himself in the front door of her building. He walked up the four flights of stairs and walked down to her apartment, knocking softly. It was almost 3 and he didn't need to wake the neighbors. At least, not any more than he usually did when he came to pick her up in the middle of the night for cases.

He wasn't surprised when she didn't answer. _He opened his phone and sent her a text. I'm not going anywhere so you might as well let me in._ He hit SEND. He waited a minute, but didn't hear any movement. God, she could be so stubborn! He knocked lightly again and waited a few minutes. When he still didn't hear anything he pulled out his keys. If this is how she wanted to play this….

He unlocked the door and poked his head in. He could see the light was on in her bedroom. "Liv?" he said softly, entering the apartment and closing the door behind him. "Liv. It's me." He shook his head. Of course she knew who it was.

He walked towards her bedroom and peeked in, but didn't see her anywhere. He walked in and saw the bathroom door was open, but she wasn't in there either. He turned back to the bedroom and saw her phone on the bed. He picked it up and saw the light, letting her know she had a new message. His message. He saw a nightgown lying on the bed and picked it up, and a pair of matching panties fell to the floor. What the hell? He dropped it back on the bed, and walked back into the living room. She wasn't anywhere in her apartment…and she'd left her phone. Where the hell had she gone?


	35. Chapter 35

_I guess I've been on a mission to get this story updated! I'm on vacation as the lake and had a nice relaxing day, so I was able to get some updates done. More people are coming tomorrow, so it will be little crazier, and I don't know how much I'll be able to update the rest of the week. So sorry in advance if I don't get anything out for a few days. Love your comments…please continue to leave your reviews!_

EOEOEOEOE

Olivia walked into the gym and went straight to her locker, stashing her keys. She looked around, surprised to see half a dozen people working out. _Who works out at 3AM?_ Actually, it was more like 3:30AM. She headed towards the elliptical, anxious to work off some of her anger and frustration and hurt. Unlike Elliot, she wasn't prone to hitting lockers and kicking doors; exercise was her outlet for all the horrible things she saw every day. And it also didn't hurt that being in good physical shape enabled her to do her job as well. She re-tied her shoes and climbed on the elliptical machine, bringing it to life as she moved.

EOEOEOEOEOEO

Elliot paced around her apartment for a few moments, trying to figure out where she could have gone at this time of night. He thought about texting Casey, but didn't want to alarm her. The she thought of Alex – same story. He sat down on the couch, and put his head in his hands. Where would she have gone?

After a few minutes, the only answer that made sense was that she'd gone to his apartment. He couldn't see her waking Alex or Casey, and when she really needed to talk, she would usually come to him. Except in this case…he was the person she needed to talk about. Still…it was the only thing that made sense. He stood up, ready to go back to his place but paused when he got to the door. She would get to his place and see that he wasn't home. She didn't have a key and she didn't have her phone. So, would she think he was just stewing inside, refusing to let her in? Would she sit in the hallway and wait for him to come out or come home? Or would she come back home? _Damn it._ He wished she had her phone so he could call her instead of this stupid predicament he was in. He didn't want to leave and miss her, passing each other on the street as they both went home. He walked back into the apartment. She had to come home sooner or later. This was his best option.

EOEOEOEOEO

Olivia stepped off the elliptical slowly, her body aching. She'd pushed herself past her normal routine, wanting to feel numb. It had worked. She was covered in sweat and completely exhausted. She glanced up at the clock on the wall and saw that she'd been on that torturous machine for 45 minutes. It seemed even longer. She walked over to the water cooler and filled a glass, guzzling it down. She filled it again and sat down on a nearby bench, sipping this glass a little more slowly. She closed her eyes and thought about Elliot. She wondered what he was doing right now. Probably stewing over the fact that she'd hung up. And over Jack. She let her head fall back against the wall. She was such an idiot. Why hadn't she just gone home to Elliot? That's where she had really wanted to be, but out of some messed up sense of obligation, she'd gone with Casey. She thought Elliot would understand. He loved her, despite all her flaws and scars. But even love had its' limits and she clearly pushed them to their breaking point. She sighed. She owed him a huge apology. She had to make him understand that she didn't want to be with Jack…that it had been about Aaron and Casey. And that she wouldn't make that mistake again. She had to earn the trust she had accused him of withholding.

She stood up from the bench, her body protesting. She opened up her locker, grabbed her duffle bag and carried it into the women's showers. She stripped of her workout gear and stepped into the shower area. She ran the water as hot as she could stand, and stood under it, washing away the sweat and grime, trying to clear her mind. When she was done, she stepped out and dug in her bag for some clean clothes. All she had was a red sports bra, some black bike shorts she had stashed for her next SPIN class. She also found a white t-shirt with the name of the gym on it. She pulled them on. At this point, she really didn't care. It was 5AM on Saturday morning. Who was she going to see? She stuffed her dirty clothes back in the bag, shut and locked her locker and headed out the door, wondering how early she could call Elliot without waking him.

She walked out of the gym, but didn't see any cabs. She looked left and right, and decided to head over to 7th Avenue a few blocks away. There were sure to be some cabs there. As she walked, she kept thinking about Elliot, and she was wondering how he would react if she just showed up at his apartment. Only one problem. He didn't have a doorman, and she didn't have a key. And she wasn't absolutely certain that he would let her in.

She stepped up to the first cab in line and knocked on the window, clearly waking the driver. She slid in the backseat and gave him her home address. She had decided she would head home, try to get a few hours of sleep and then call Elliot. She was exhausted and having this discussion required her to be awake. She didn't want this to escalate into a fight. She just didn't have the energy.

The cab stopped in front of her apartment less than ten minutes later. One upside of being up this early was minimal traffic. She paid the cabbie and let herself into her apartment building. She decided her sore body couldn't handle the stairs, so she stabbed at the elevator button. Blessedly the door opened right away and she stumbled in. A few more minutes and she was going to be sound asleep. When the elevator reached her floor, she stepped out, tossing her duffle bag over her shoulder and fingering the key to her door. The only thing she could think about was collapsing into bed.

EOEOEOEOEO

Elliot looked at his watch. It was almost 4:30AM. _Where the hell could she be?_ He felt like this was a never-ending theme all damn night. At this point, he didn't know if he should be worried or upset. He wondered if she had her gun. In a panic, he jumped up from the couch and went to her bedroom nightstand. He knew she kept her gun and badge there. Sure enough, there they were. So she had gone out without her phone, gun or badge.

He didn't like that. He didn't like that _at all_. She was out in the city somewhere…unprotected. He always worried about Olivia's safety. She put herself in some pretty bad situations sometimes, seemingly unaware of the danger she was putting herself in. She always put victims…and others…safety first. He felt better when she had him or her gun to back her up. Preferably both. But now, she had neither. And not even a phone to call if she got into some kind of trouble.

He couldn't let himself think this way. Life wasn't that cruel. He had waited for so long to be with her; fate wouldn't take her away now…or would it? Sometimes, fate could be a bitch.

He rubbed a hand over his head. He was overreacting. He knew it. Exhaustion was seeping in. Hell, had completely settled in and he wasn't thinking clearly. There was a reasonable explanation for her absence. He'd just have to wait it out.

He walked into her kitchen and looked under her sink. He found a bottle of Scotch, way in the back. He knew Olivia didn't drink hard alcohol very often, thanks to her mother. But he knew she stashed a bottle here for company and emergencies. This was a fucking emergency. He needed to calm his nerves. He pulled a juice glass down from the cupboard and filled it up halfway. He hesitated a second before he slammed it down. It burned as it went down, but it had the desired effect. He took a deep breath, poured another shot, smaller than the first, and slammed it down too. He walked back into the living room and lay down on the couch, one arm thrown over his eyes. His exhaustion set it, and with the help of the Scotch, he dozed off the sleep.

EOEOEOEOEOEO

Olivia opened the door to her apartment and she saw him right away. He was sound asleep on her couch, his arm thrown over his head, snoring lightly. She smiled when she saw him there, a huge sigh of relief escaping through her lips. He had come to see her; he wasn't going to leave her. She set her gym bag on the floor and quietly closed the door behind her. She toed off her shoes and crept over to where he was sleeping. She leaned over him, just watching him sleep. She was overwhelmed with emotion, probably even more extreme due to her utter and complete exhaustion. She wanted to kiss him and hug him. She wanted to tell him that she was sorry, and that she loved him. She wanted to curl up on the couch with him and have him put his arms around her and tell her that he loved her. Tears were welling up, blurring her vision, and a few managed to escape, trailing down her cheeks. It took her a moment to notice Elliot's eyes opening and when she did, she stood up, swiping at the tears falling down her face.

"Liv." Elliot sat up. "Olivia." He reached for her arms, pulling her towards him. She lost her balance and feel on top of him, forcing him back down on the couch. He took her face in his hands and stared into her eyes. "Where have you been? I've been worried sick about you."

"I'm sorry Elliot. I'm so sorry about everything. I don't know why…" And then she broke down. She was full out crying and Elliot was alarmed. Olivia never cried like this. He pulled her down, wrapping his arms around her. She laid her head on his chest and sobbed, not caring if he thought she was weak…for the first time in a long time, she let her emotion out.

"Shhhh." Elliot said soothingly as he stroked her hair. "It's OK Liv." He wasn't quite sure why she was so utterly despondent but at that moment but it didn't matter. He just held her. "Shhh."

After a few minutes, her crying subsided and he could feel her hiccupping against his body. She lifted up her head and saw him staring down at her.

"Are you OK?" he asked. "Did something happen?" He had been thinking that something must have happened, either with Jack or wherever the hell she'd been tonight, to make her so upset. "You can tell me."

"Nothing happened El. I swear." She hiccupped again. She swiped at her tear stained face and tried to sit up. Elliot braced her arms and he sat up, swinging his legs off the couch. Olivia sat next to him, and they were both facing each other.

Elliot reached across and wiped at her lower lashes with his thumbs, cupping her face with his hands. "Olivia, where have you been?" He looked down at her clothes, a questioning look on his face.

"Elliot. It's been a long night. We both said and did some things we probably shouldn't have and I know we need to talk but please…can we just sleep? Can we talk tomorrow? I'm so exhausted and I just can't…" her voice trailed off and Elliot could see tears forming on her lower lashes again. He saw just how pale and spent she was.

He stood up from the couch, and reached down, scooping her in his arms, much to her surprise. "El!" she cried out weakly, but she didn't fight him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and laid her head on his shoulder and Elliot swore she was asleep before he lay her down on the bed. He picked up the white satin nightgown and underwear from the bed, sighing. This weekend was certainly NOT starting out like last weekend had. He set them on the dresser and then went back and covered Olivia with the comforter. He stripped down to his boxers and climbed into bed, pulling her body to his and wrapping his arms around her. She settled against him, her head on his shoulder and he heard her mumble something. He kissed the top of her head. "Good night Liv. I love you."

_Please leave a review if you're enjoying the story…or even if you're not. Thanks_


	36. Chapter 36

Olivia woke up to bright sunlight streaming in through the window. She was curled up on her side and could feel Elliot sprawled across her back, his arm thrown across her waist and a leg wedged slightly in between her ankles. She reached over to grab her phone to see what time is was and heard Elliot mumble against her neck. She squinted her eyes in the bright light and saw it was almost noon. She couldn't believe it was that late because it felt like she'd only slept for a couple of hours. She set the phone back down on the nightstand and closed her eyes. She really had to use the bathroom, but she also thought she would love to drift back to sleep. But that was mostly a delay tactic. She knew that even though Elliot had agreed to her request to sleep and save any serious discussion until today, he wasn't going to let it drop. They _would_ have a discussion. She sighed. Before…when they argued over cases and perps and victims, they would simply get through it by ignoring it, until a few days had passed and they'd forgotten what the disagreement was about. But this was _after_, and the stakes were higher. At the very least, she didn't have to worry about him storming out on her. If he was going to do that, he would have done it last night…at least she thought he would.

She couldn't wait any longer. She had to go to the bathroom. She gently grasped Elliot's arm and set it down behind her as she slipped out of bed. She heard Elliot grumble some more, but looking back, he still appeared asleep. She used the bathroom, washed her hands, and splashed warm water on her face. She brushed her teeth and ran her hands through her hair. She hoped Elliot was still sleeping. She would love to just climb back under the covers and curl into his body and fall back asleep. She opened up the door and looked back towards the bed. No such luck. He had his head propped up on his hand and was staring right at her.

"Good morning." She said.

"Morning." He said, apparently not willing to commit to whether it was going to be good or bad. Not a good sign.

She walked towards the bed and climbed on top of the comforter, kneeling next to him and he dropped onto his back. She gave him a small smile, testing the waters, but didn't get a smile in return. She leaned in to give him a quick kiss and stared into his eyes as she pulled back. He hadn't stopped her, but he hadn't really kissed her back either. She planted a hand on his shoulder and leaned in again, intending to kiss him a little more deeply, but he reached up with both hands and stopped her, bracing his hands against her upper arms.

"No." He said, no emotion on his face or in his tone.

Olivia sat back on heels, waiting for him to say something else, but he didn't. Instead, he climbed out of bed on the opposite side from her. He picked up his jeans from the floor, slipped them on without bothering to zip or button them, and walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind him with a little more force than necessary.

Olivia swung around and sat on the edge of the bed. She wasn't sure what was going to happen next; what she should do. So she stayed where she was. Clearly, he was angry. But she had no experience in working things out like this with Elliot, so she was going to follow his lead.

The bathroom door opened and he emerged, his jeans now buttoned and zipped. He glanced over at her and then walked out of the bedroom. She hesitated a few moments before she stood up, and she could hear him in the kitchen. She heard the water running, and saw he was making coffee as she walked into the kitchen.

"Elliot." She said. He didn't answer her and kept his back to her, reaching up into the cupboard and pulling two mugs out. She leaned a hip against the counter, waiting for him to respond or, at the very least, acknowledge her presence.

They stood in silence for several minutes while the coffeemaker did its' thing. When the coffeemaker beeped, Elliot pulled out the pot and poured coffee into the two mugs. He replaced the pot in the coffeemaker, and she saw his him sigh heavily, his shoulders sagging slightly. He grabbed both mugs and turned, holding one out to her.

"Start talking." He said. Once again his tone was void of emotion.

"W..what?" she stuttered slightly as she took the mug from him, surprised by what he'd said. She had expected him to launch into a tirade, telling her all the ways she'd messed up. She wasn't prepared to just start talking.

"OK. I'll make this simple for you." He said, walking towards the living room. He sat down on the couch and looked at Olivia as she sat on the other end facing him. "Where the hell were you last night and what the fuck happened?"

There it was…the anger she was expecting. She had seen Elliot angry before and she knew how to deal with that. The emotionless Elliot she'd seen in the kitchen scared the crap out of her.

"Elliot, nothing happened last night."

"That's not what I asked you." He said, still staring at her.

Olivia stared back, wondering how much detail she should get in to. She took a sip of coffee and bit her bottom lip.

"Olivia…" Elliot said, exasperation in his tone. "Don't sit there trying to decide what you're going to tell me. I want to hear it all."

Olivia hesitated again. She knew he just wanted to hear what had happened with Jack; he probably didn't care much about the rest.

"Elliot. Nothing happened. In fact, I told Jack that if he ever touched me again, I would knee him so hard that he'd never have sex again. And I told him to fuck off."

"He touched you? Touched you where?" Elliot said, his tone escalating. "I thought you said nothing happened!"

"I'm telling you the truth Elliot! Nothing happened!"

"But he tried something?" he asked. "That son of a bitch."

Olivia rubbed her hand over her face. She should have started at the beginning like he asked. "Calm down. Let me talk."

Elliot took a deep breath and made a motion like she should go ahead.

"OK. We went to dinner and we talked about the party and except for a few comments, Jack was actually behaving like a normal person."

"What comments?" Elliot asked, and Olivia was sorry she had mentioned it. He cocked his head as if to tell her _don't leave anything out._

"He just asked if you had nailed me yet." She looked away, slightly embarrassed at having to repeat it.

Elliot didn't react. "So then what happened?"

"We finished with dinner and Casey asked if we could go down to a bar just a half block down to have a drink." She looked back at Elliot. "I agreed because I didn't want to disappoint her." She hesitated. "I thought it was just be half an hour and that I'd be home by 10:30…" She waited for him to say something but he didn't. "I've just been so concerned about how this whole Jack thing will effect Casey and Aaron. I don't want them to think that I can't get along with Jack and be OK through the wedding and events. So I agreed to go." She hesitated. "I wasn't choosing to be with Jack instead of you." She said, a pleading tone in her voice. "I wasn't." But just the fact that she'd said it made her realize that's what she thought he was thinking.

Elliot didn't say anything. He just continued to look at her.

"When we got to the bar, it turns out it was a jazz lounge. And there was a band playing and there was dancing. We ordered some wine and Casey ordered a couple of desserts and time just got away from me. Before I knew it, it was midnight. I told Casey I had to leave but then Jack…" she hesitated. She wasn't sure she wanted to tell him but she didn't think she was going to get out of it. "He told me he didn't want me to leave. He put his hand on my leg…" She put her hand on her thigh, mimicking Jack's actions. "And ran his hand up my thigh."

She could see Elliot clenching his jaw, his entire body tensing, but she forged on.

"I told Casey I was out of there. Jack followed me out the door and asked if we could share a cab. He had his hand on my ass and that's when I told him that if he ever touched me again…" She didn't repeat what she had said before. "And then I came home."

"Then I texted you." She paused again, waiting for any reaction from him, but getting none, she forged ahead. "Then, when we talked…I was so upset. It hurt me when you said…what you said." Still no reaction from him. "I was angry and upset…I needed to get it out of my system. So I went to the gym to work out my frustration." She motioned down to her clothes. "That's why I'm wearing this."

Elliot scrubbed his hands over his face, trying to remain calm.

"Olivia. I shouldn't have said that to you." He grimaced slightly. "I didn't really think you had sex with Jack. I was just angry." He stared at her. "Do you understand why I was angry?"

"I should have called you or texted you that I was going to be late."

Elliot shook his head. "No. Well yes. But more to the point…you decided to go out with Jack, and Casey and Aaron instead of me. I was upset because you knew I was home waiting for you…and you just decided to go out, as if seeing me wasn't important."

"Elliot. I _wanted _to see you! I just felt like I had to…"

Elliot cut her off. "Olivia. I can't understand that. You have your priorities messed up.…I want to be with you all the time…and I thought you felt the same way. So I can't understand why you thought I wouldn't care if you didn't come home. Why you thought it would be OK to blow me off. Why you chose Casey over me."

"El. I didn't choose Casey…"

Elliot shook his head. "Really?"

Olivia knew she owed him an apology, but she had been trying to make him understand why she'd done what she'd done. She realized it didn't matter. "Elliot. I'm sorry. I was thinking about Casey and Aaron. I figured you would understand. I didn't expect to be that late, but it doesn't matter. I should have called you or texted you. I should have told you where I was. I didn't think. I wasn't thinking. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. If you did that to me, I'd be furious." She pulled her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. "I'm so sorry." She whispered. She looked over at him. "This is why I suck at relationships."

Elliot sighed, looking over at her. He didn't want to be angry with her, but there was a piece of him that couldn't let it go.

He took a deep breath. "Olivia. First of all, I love you. I'm upset with you, but I love you." He set his mug of coffee down on the table. "I'm never going to be OK with you spending any time with Jack Spencer. It's not that I don't trust you, but I just can't get over what happened and I can't forgive him for it. I know I should be able to deal with it, but it's always going to be hard for me." She looked down at her feet, another apology on her lips, but she heard him talking again. "And I'm going to worry about you. No matter what, I need to know that you're OK; that you're safe. When I can't get a hold of you, my mind goes to the worst possible scenario. So you have to answer your phone. You have to respond to my texts, or text me if you're not going to be where you're supposed to be. And for God's sake, don't ever leave your phone behind. Or your gun or shield. I can't stand the thought of you being out there unprotected. And first and foremost, when people love each other, they make each other a priority."

He finished this in a rush…and Olivia could tell how really concerned he had really been.

"Olivia…look at me." She looked up at him and saw the concern in his eyes. "When I got to your apartment and you weren't here at 430 in the morning…I panicked. And then when I saw you didn't have your phone or your gun…" He ran his hand along his jaw. "I couldn't imagine where you could have gone. I was so worried." He moved a little closer to her on the couch. "I just know that when I woke up and I saw you leaning over me, I was just so happy to see you and to see you were OK." He reached out and took her hands in his, staring into her eyes. "Liv. We're going to disagree about things and we're going to fight. We've fought for years and we're still partners, despite having said some pretty awful things to each other. And I know you don't like it when things get intense, or get too tough, but I have news for you. You're not going to get rid of me that easy." He pulled her hand to his mouth and kissed it. "I love you and we will always work it out."

_I know we didn't get to the good stuff in this chapter…but make up sex is so wonderful….please leave a review!_


	37. Chapter 37

_Wow, Elliot and Olivia have some things to work out, don't they? I really appreciate everyone's interest level and comments. I didn't really like this story after the first few chapters but people seem to be enjoying it, so I'll keep going as long as anyone wants me to._

EOEOEOEO

Olivia pulled her hands back from Elliot's after he kissed them, and slipped her legs beneath her so she was curled up in the corner of the couch. She put her hands in her lap, and didn't say anything for a full minute, considering everything Elliot had said.

Elliot sat back and watched her. He could tell she wanted to say something and was trying to figure out how to say it. She was biting her bottom lip and she let out a heavy sigh.

"Liv." He said, a slight question in the way he said it. He had pretty much said everything he wanted to say. He thought he had been pretty clear about he had felt, but obviously there was more on her mind. "Just say what you want to say."

Her eyes flicked up to his; her expression neutral. She pursed her lips together and reached up, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Elliot." She paused again. "I heard everything you said. And I am sorry that I didn't come home after dinner, like I said I would. And that, at the very least, I didn't call you or text you to let you know where I was. I didn't mean to make you worry and the last thing I want is for you to feel like you're not important to me. That's crazy because this relationship is something I've wanted for a long time. And even though I stayed with Casey for what I thought were good reasons, I can see now how that was a bad decision."

Elliot listened to what she said, but he could hear the 'but' coming.

"But I'm upset that you still didn't trust me with Jack. That you still _don't_ trust me."

"Liv, I do trust you."

"That's not true. On the phone last night, you accused me of having sex with him again."

"I told you I was sorry. I didn't really think that you had. I was angry."

"No. You didn't tell me you were sorry. You told me that you shouldn't have said it. Those are two different things. Plus. You just told me you'll never be OK with me being around him. If you trusted me, that wouldn't be an issue. You'd trust that I would handle him."

Elliot didn't have an answer for that. He hadn't apologized to her, and he didn't want her around Jack.

"Liv. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said it. And it's not you I don't trust. It's him."

"Elliot. You've seen me take down suspects and perps. You've seen me handle all of kinds of trash talk, lewd looks and sexual innuendo. Why would you think I wouldn't be able to handle anything Jack threw at me?"

"You're right. You would." Elliot said, but he knew she didn't believe him by the look on her face.

"Elliot. You said you're sorry and you shouldn't have said it, but I'm not really sure there wasn't a part of you that thought I just might have _slipped_ again. In fact, I'm not convinced this entire thing is about Jack. Is it? Or is it about the fact that I had sex with someone I'd just met?" Olivia stood up. "Because you seemed to indicate with your accusation last night that that's what you believe. That I'd just fuck him in the cab because I can't control myself." She stopped and turned to face him. "Do you think that of me? That my life has just been a series of one night stands? Sex with strange men I barely know? Because I have news for you…I don't do that. You don't know anything about my private life. My relationships…nothing."

"What about Brian Cassidy?" The words flew out of Elliot's mouth before he could stop it because she was right. He didn't know anything about her private life before him, especially her sex life. The only two factors he had to base an opinion on were Brian Cassidy and Jack Spencer. Two one night stands. He saw the shocked expression on her face and once again, he had gone too far. He stood up abruptly and rushed over to her before she could even react. He grabbed her upper arms and she twisted her body, trying to get out of his grip. Elliot held on to her tightly. "Liv. Hold on. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I didn't mean that."

She continued to try to fight against him. "You're an asshole."

He pulled her body close to his and wrapped his arms around her, killing any chance she had of moving away from him. She was rigid in his embrace and he could feel her seething.

"Olivia. I'm sorry. I'm a jealous ass. I just…" He leaned his head down into the crown of her head. "Liv, I've only ever slept with Kathy. And you know that. I've never been with anyone else until you. And it drives me crazy to think of you with other men…and just not knowing who. I mean, I've always found myself wondering if you slept with this person or that person when I see you're being friendly or I see someone flirting with you. I can't bear it." She still hadn't softened in his arms but he kept talking. "I know you're a grown woman, and that you've had relationships but I wish there had never been anyone else for you before me. I know it's stupid but it's just how I feel." He hesitated a moment before he continued. "And I think that Jack drives me crazy because I _know_ you had sex with him. He's a visible reminder of one of the faceless men before me."

Olivia still hadn't relaxed her body against his, and he felt like an even bigger asshole for trapping her against him. He loosened his arms, effectively giving her an out, and she took it. She stepped out of his embrace, shooting him a wary look, and made her way back over to the couch. He turned to look at her as she sat down.

"What do you want me to say to that Elliot?" she sighed. "Do you want a list of men I've slept with? Would that make you feel better?"

"No!"

"Is this some kind of pathetic contest? Are you worried about how you measure up?"

"No!"

"Then I don't know what else I can say. I have a past. I've had relationships and I've had one night stands. I had a whole lifetime before I came to SVU, and after. So I know you don't like to think about that but that's life Elliot. You're just going to have to deal with it." She laughed harshly. "You know what's so ironic about this entire conversation? Do you know how many times I only had a first or second date with a guy and never made it any farther because they weren't you? How many men never made it into my bed because of you? Or how many times I _did_ sleep with a guy just to try to get you out of my head?" She shook her head. "God El. For the last 5 years…maybe even longer…it's always been about _you_."

Elliot just stared at her…he didn't even know what to say.

Olivia stood up and walked over towards him. She poked a hand in his chest. "Elliot. I want you to listen to me because I'm not going to say this again." She punctuated each word with another poke of her fingers. "I don't want to have sex with anyone but you. Ever again. I have wanted this for as long as you have and I'm not going to let some asshole like Jack Spencer, or any other man, get between us. It's you…always you. Men will look at me. Men will make comments, ask me out and make crude suggestions. All you have to do is smile because you know that despite whatever thoughts they're having…_you're_ the one in my bed at night. So please stop acting like a jealous asshole and take me to bed _now_. Show me that I made the right decision. I'm done with this conversation."

She turned away from him, missing the stunned look on his face. He was rooted to this spot, thinking about what she'd said. And she was right…he had to let it go. She was here now, with him. And she wanted to be with him. Forever. So why did he care about the men that came before him? As long as he was the last one to have her…they didn't matter.

He looked up and saw Olivia had turned and was looking at him, furrowing her brow. She lifted her t-shirt up and over her head and dropped it on the floor. She was standing in her tight bike shorts and her red sports bra and the thought cross his mind. _Is that what she wears at the gym? I have to talk to her about that._

"Are you going to stand there with your mouth open all day Stabler?" There was a challenge in her voice. She put her hands on her hips and he could tell she was in a combative mood still. He strode over to her in three large strides and grabbed the back of her head with his hand, crashing his mouth down on hers. He forced her mouth open with his and drove his tongue into her mouth, kissing her hard. Relentlessly. He wrapped his other arm around her waist and pulled her body against his, practically lifting her off the ground. He dropped his hand down to her ass and squeezed hard, massaging her cheeks as he pushed her body into his. Olivia moaned against his mouth and she was trying to pull back…to catch a breath. But he didn't let her. He pushed her body up against the wall, cushioning her head with his hand but driving her body into the wall, hard. He placed his leg between hers, and pushed up, giving her no choice but to spread her legs. He reached down and grabbed her knee, pulling it up to his side and pressing into her and she made a sound as he pushed into her against the wall. She was scratching at the bare skin on his shoulders, trying to push him off of her and he finally relented, releasing her mouth. She gasped, trying to take in a breath. But the pressure of his body against hers wouldn't allow her to fill her lungs completely and before she could catch her breath, he crashed his lips against hers again. She twisted her body against his, trying to push him back, but he continued devouring her mouth. She dug her nails into his shoulder and he broke the kiss, stepping back from her and dropping her leg in the process.

"Shit!" he said, looking at the blood on his shoulder.

She took in a deep breath now that his hard body wasn't pressed against hers. She narrowed her eyes at him as he stood a foot away from her, breathing hard. Her eyes flickered towards the bedroom and Elliot saw it, but he didn't want her in the bed. All of the emotion and frustration and anger was going to come out and this was going to be hard and fast. Before she could make a move, his body was on hers again. He grabbed her arms and pinned them above her head with his hands, and captured her lips again. She opened her mouth to say something but he drove his tongue into her mouth again. She was pushing her body against his, seemingly in protest, but he could feel her breasts against his bare chest. Her erect nipples pressed against him and she was kissing him back. He held her hands with one of his and ran the other down her side, grazing her breast, and running down to her hip. He drove his hand between her legs and could feel the heat radiating from her core. He cupped her and she pushed herself into his hand. He reached up to the waistband of her shorts but they were too damned tight and he couldn't get his hand inside. He let go of her hands then and they dropped to his shoulders. He took both hands and hooked his hands in the waistband of her shorts, trying to pull them down. But he didn't have any leverage. He broke the kiss. "Fuck." He said. He dropped down, burying his face at the juncture of her legs, opening his mouth against her and a low moan escaped Olivia's mouth, going right to his groin. He didn't waste another second…he yanked her shorts down her legs and pulled them off, forcing her to step out of them. It was then that he realized she wasn't wearing any underwear and he groaned. He kissed her mound and ran both hands up the outside of her legs until he reached her hips. He pulled his mouth from her and pulled her entire body down with his as he fell on his back, forcing her to land on him to cushion the fall. But once he had her down, he rolled over so she was lying on her back.

"Shit." Olivia hissed when her body hit the cold, wood floor. "Elliot. I'm not..."

He quieted her with his mouth on hers and he pushed her legs apart with his. He rocked his hardened length into her, his jeans causing friction against her core and she moaned again. He ran his hand down between their bodies and slipped his fingers down between her folds, and he could feel the slickness there. There was no mistaking her desire and as he rubbed his fingers back and forth she moaned again.

"Fuck El." Her hands reached down and she tugged at the waistband of his jeans. "Take them off." She rasped.

"No." he said. He crashed his lips on her swollen lips again. He pulled back, breathing hard. "You told me to show you that you hadn't made a bad decision…so you're not in charge."

She pushed against his chest, but her attempt to push him off her was feeble, and he knew it. He dropped his lips against her collarbone and ran his tongue up to her ear. He nibbled on her earlobe and then whispered in her ear. "You can pretend to protest as much as you want Olivia. But you like it; you like me taking charge. I'm going to fuck you hard Olivia. You're mine." A shudder went through Olivia's body at his words and she felt a pull in her groin. She was turned on as hell at this battle of wills between them and she wanted Elliot between her legs, fucking her like he promised. She didn't care where they were.

Elliot's lips had trailed down to her collarbone and he was trying to push the straps of her sports bra but they didn't budge. He grunted in frustration. "What the fuck?" he growled against her as his hands tried to massage her breasts through the materials. "This is like fucking body armor" he growled as he tried to get beneath the tight spandex. He sat up slightly, and grabbed the bottom of the bra, tugging at it and pulling it up and over Olivia's head. Her head dropped back against the floor with a dull thud and Olivia let out a small cry at the impact.

"Sorry." Elliot said but his mouth was back at her chest as he took one breast in his mouth. He ran his tongue back and forth across her nipple and Olivia rolled her hips up against his lower body. He kept massaging her other breast, flicking his thumb back and forth across her and the groans and moans coming from Olivia were causing a deep ache in his groin. He was so hard and he pressed against her through his jeans. He needed to take them off but he didn't want to stop what he was doing. He bit down lightly on her nipple and Olivia let out a string of curse words as her hips thrust into his one more time.

"Fuck Elliot. I can't…" her words trailed off in another moan as his teeth bit her lightly again and he could feel her entire body shuddering. He pulled his mouth and hands off her and moved his mouth back up to her ear.

"No. You're not getting off that easy. You have to wait for me."

"Fuck!" she swore at him and he knew how close she'd been. Her face and chest were flushed and she was breathing heavily and he smiled, capturing her lips again. She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him as close as possible and raked her nails up and down his back. Her hands landed on the waistband of his jeans and she tugged at them as he continued to press himself into her. She widened her legs, and as he pressed into her again, he must have hit her clit because she let out a guttural groan that almost made him come right then and there.

She pushed at his chest again, trying to roll them over. She was apparently done with him being in charge. But he held her in place with his body and she let out another string of curse words. When she realized he wasn't going to relent she fell back against the floor.

"Elliot." She hissed in frustration. "God… I can't. Please. I want you."

Elliot pushed himself up on his knees and started to unbutton his jeans. He looked down at her and saw her watching him, her chest heaving slightly as she tried to slow her breathing. Her lips were red and swollen and her eyes were half closed as she looked up at him. She ran her tongue over her bottom lip and he felt his dick twitch and he had an image of her, taking him in her mouth. He groaned at the thought and her eyes flicked to his, almost as if she'd read his mind. She sat up and reached for the zipper of his jeans, pulling it down. She tugged at this waistband of his jeans and pulled them down over his hips so they pooled at his knees. She ran her hand over the length of him through his boxers and he thrust himself into her hand. She reached for the waistband of his boxers and tugged them down, freeing him. She ran her tongue over her bottom lip again and he almost came right there.

"No." he rasped out as she reached for him again. He wasn't going to come in her hand or in her mouth. He pushed her back down on the floor and kicked off his jeans and boxers. Once his knees hit the floor again, he realized that maybe this hard floor wasn't the best idea, but moving now required time he didn't have. He wanted to touch her…to taste her…but he couldn't hold out much longer and from the way she was bucking her hips against him, neither could she.

He pushed himself against her core and could feel her wetness coat him as he slid between her folds. He groaned at the sensation as he slid back and forth across her wetness and she was pushing against him now and moaning loudly as he hit her clit with each motion back and forth.

She dug her nails into his lower back and he could feel her body start to shudder again. He had his head face pressed against her shoulder as he pulled himself away from her, denying her release a second time.

"Fuck!" she yelled in frustration and he smiled against her shoulder. When she did come, it was going to be like nothing she'd felt before because she was so wound up right now. He lowered himself to line up with her core and knocked against her entrance. He could feel her body tense, anticipating his intrusion but he paused. He pulled his head up from her shoulder and looked at her. Her eyes were closed and her mouth was open, her hands tense against his back. He put his mouth over hers and drove his tongue into her mouth. She kissed him back weakly, her hands on his lower back trying to urge him forward. She pushed her hips up and the tip slipped in but hit the barrier of her muscles, tightened against him. He pulled his mouth away. "Fuck Liv." He said at the sensation, and he pushed in against her body's resistance, groaning as her walls clenched around him. He pulled out slightly and then pushed in again, stretching her and going deeper.

Olivia hissed at the sensation, her body tensing as he pulled back again, and then thrust in again, going even deeper until he was completely inside her. She wrapped her legs around him and pushed her feet against his ass, trying to push him even deeper inside of her. Elliot dropped his head to her shoulder again and groaned. "Fuck Liv." He sat up slightly and put his hands on her knees, pushing her legs to the side and opening her up even more. He pulled out almost completely and thrust back into her hard and her entire body shuddered and her walls clenched around him.

His body shuddered as he did it again, and he knew he wasn't going to be able to take much more of this. Fuck. He felt like some stupid teenager but he couldn't stop it. He thrust into her again and watched as she writhed on the floor, wanting to grab hold of something but finding nothing to grasp. She slapped her hands on the floor in frustration and another string of swear words came out of her mouth as he continued to pull out and thrust hard back into her. His right hand dropped her knee and his hand went to her clit. He swiped his thumb across it a couple of times and her body jolted at each touch. He leaned over her then, taking a breast in his mouth and biting and teasing her nipple while he continued thrusting hard into her. He could feel her entire body trembling and he released her breast, running his hand back down to her clit. If she didn't come in the next few seconds he wasn't going to be able to hold on; his body needed the release. He swiped her clit again with his thumb and he felt it then. Her walls clamped down hard and her entire body shuddered as her orgasm ripped through her body. The guttural noise that escaped from her mouth went right through his body and he came hard inside her, his body going rigid as her muscles clenched so hard around him she almost pushed him out. He held himself inside her as he continued to throb inside her until his arms gave out and he collapsed on top of her, knocking the breath out of her. He tried to brace himself on his arms and relieve some of the pressure but his orgasm had sapped his strength. She was gasping beneath him, both from the orgasm and his body weight on top of her and he lifted himself up some more.

Olivia wrapped her arms around him and he rolled over onto his back, his body never leaving hers. She laid her head down on his chest, breathing heavily, and he wrapped his arms around her.

_Well, I don't know about you but I need a shower now._


	38. Chapter 38

_Thanks for all of your reviews. A special shout-out to __**writersrefinery**__. I'm reading her story __**Semper Fi**__ and we are tag teaming as we post new updates! If you aren't reading that story, you should. It's really good. To __**Writersrefinery**__…tag, you're it!_

EOEOEOEOEOEO

Elliot ran his hands down her back and trailed them up slowly towards her shoulders. Olivia winced and Elliot's hands stilled.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing." She said, but tensed again as he ran his hands back down.

"Sit up." He said, and she pulled up slightly, breaking the connection between them. He sat up, forcing her up and he ran his hands up her arms. "Did I hurt you?" he asked. "Let me see."

She twisted as well as she could while she straddled him and Elliot bent to the side to get a look at her back. He saw her shoulder blades were rubbed slightly raw and presumed it was from contact with the floor.

"Shit. Liv. I'm sorry." He truly was sorry. He didn't know what he'd been thinking. He should have taken her to bed. Instead, he'd only been thinking about his need to have her, then and there. He had wanted it to be rough and raw; to release all the anger and frustration in both of them.

"Am I bleeding?" she asked as his fingers traced around the sensitive skin.

"No. The skin is scraped and raw. Like a carpet burn."

"You mean like a wood burn?" she asked and he looked and saw she was smirking. "It's fine Elliot. I didn't stop you."

"You tried. I didn't listen."

"I really didn't try that hard." She said, her tone low and throaty as she turned back to face him, her knees on either side of him as she continued to straddle him. "I could have stopped you if I wanted to."

"Ha. I don't think so." He placed his hands on her hips. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I would never hurt you." He said.

"I know El. And if you were _really_ hurting me, I would let you know." She kissed him gently on the mouth. "I'll survive. I've been hurt worse than that."

"Yeah, but by suspects or perps. Not by…" Elliot clammed up because he really didn't know for sure what she was talking about and he didn't want to get into another discussion about previous lovers. He leaned in and kissed her again and Olivia took his face in her hands and deepened it, driving her tongue into his open mouth and moaning. Elliot pushed her hips down and she ground herself against him.

Olivia pulled her mouth from his. "Jeez El. No one would ever guess your almost 50. You go from 0 to 60 in a heartbeat." She commented as she pushed against his already hardening member.

"It's you Liv. It's all you. I am like a teenager. It doesn't take much from you to get me going and once I've started, I can hardly hold back. I try but damn…I can't last. As soon as I'm inside you, I'm done. Maybe it'll get better once…" But he didn't really know what to say after that. It didn't take more than a few kisses or looks from her and he was hard as hell. And no matter what he tried, he didn't think he was ever going to be able to last very long with her.

Olivia laughed. "Once what?"

Elliot laughed too. "I don't know. I don't honestly know." He pushed her down against him again and he could feel her wetness coat him. "But don't worry. I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure you're satisfied."

Olivia pulled back and laughed. "God Elliot. That sounded so damn cheesy. Is this some kind of porn movie?"

Elliot growled and captured her lips again, holding the back of her head with his hand and devouring her mouth. He drove his tongue into her open mouth and they were both fighting each other again with their mouths and their tongues when they heard a loud buzz. They both ignore it…were almost oblivious to it…until they heard it again. This time the buzz lasted longer. Olivia pulled away first, a confused look on her face.

"El…someone's buzzing my apartment."

"Leave it." He said, trying to capture her mouth again.

"No. Wait." She listened, waiting to see if it would buzz again. Sometimes people hit the wrong button or hit all of them, just to have someone let them in the building. However, it buzzed a third time, this time longer than the first two, and Olivia knew it was for her.

"Who the hell could that be?" asked Elliot. "Were you expecting someone?" he asked.

Olivia looked back at him. "No." She stood up and walked over to the intercom.

"Don't answer it. Pretend you're not home."

Olivia pushed the button on the intercom. "Who is it?" she said and Elliot groaned.

"Liv? It's Casey. Let me in." she said, sounding impatient.

"Casey? What are you doing here?" Olivia said back into the intercom.

"Jeez Liv. I texted you and told you I was on my way over. Let me in!" Casey practically yelled into the intercom.

"OK. OK." Olivia said as she pressed the buzzer. She looked over at Elliot and saw the stunned look on his face. She looked down, quickly realizing they were both naked.

"What the fuck Liv?" he scrambled up and looked around and Olivia quickly joined him.

"Shit." She and Elliot ran around and gathered up their discarded clothing and they both ran into the bedroom. Olivia grabbed a pair of yoga pants from a drawer and pulled out a bra and t-shirt. She was putting on her bra when she heard the knock at the front door. "Shit." She said again. She looked at Elliot. "Stay in here." She said, walking out the bedroom door before he could protest. She closed the door behind her as she heard another knock on the door.

"I'm coming." She said as she pulled her t-shirt over her head. She took a deep breath, hoping the apartment didn't smell like sex. _What had she been thinking when she buzzed her up?_

She opened the door and Casey barged in with a bag from the deli around the corner from her apartment in her hand. "Took you long enough." She said. "What were you doing?" She didn't really wait for an answer as she walked into the living room and plopped down on the couch. She turned and looked back at Olivia, who was still standing at the door. "Didn't you get my text message?"

Olivia closed the door and started walking towards Casey. "Ah..no. I haven't checked my messages." She looked around, trying to even remember where her phone was.

"What's with you lately?" Casey asked as she started to unpack stuff from the deli bag. "You're attached to your phone but lately you've been missing messages and calls." She pushed the coffee mug to the side as she set out some sandwiches and then stopped. Olivia saw that she was looking back and forth at both coffee mugs and Olivia cursed internally. She wondered what else they'd left in plain sight.

"Oh. Is someone here?" she asked motioning to the two coffee mugs.

Olivia shook her head. "No."

Casey narrowed her eyes at Olivia. "You're not a very good liar Olivia. Remember, I do this for a living."

Olivia walked towards her friend and sat down in the chair. "Who would be here?" she asked, trying to distract her by grabbing a sandwich.

"You tell me." Casey said.

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Your delusional." She said. Now she really needed to change the subject. She knew Casey wouldn't drop it so she really needed a distraction. "You know Casey, I didn't really appreciate you roping me into a drink after dinner last night."

"I'm sorry about that." Casey said. "It just seemed like Jack was behaving himself and we were having a good time at dinner and I really wanted to go to that lounge."

"Well, it seemed like he thought we were on some kind of date." Olivia said, annoyance in her voice. "You didn't give him that idea, did you?"

Casey crinkled up her nose. "God no. I wouldn't do that. After what he did to you? No way."

"Yeah, well I should have just gone home after dinner. Jack stopped behaving himself and I just shouldn't have put myself in that situation."

Casey furrowed her brow. "What did he do? I didn't notice anything."

"It was nothing Casey. Nothing I couldn't handle. It just pissed me off. After everything that happened…and he still thinks there's something between us? I told him to fuck off."

Casey choked on her sandwich and then laughed out loud. She kept laughing, like that was the funniest thing she'd heard in a long time. When she had finally regained her composure, she looked back at Olivia, wiping her eyes. "You told him that?"

Olivia smiled back at her friend. "Yeah. Those were my exact words. I think I also threatened some bodily violence…" she laughed. "I think he got the message."

"I'm sorry Liv." Casey said. "I didn't mean to put you back in that situation. I'm a horrible friend."

"It's fine Casey." Olivia shook her head. "It's not your fault. You didn't force me to go with you. I'm a big girl and I can take care of myself."

"I know." She stood up. "I'm going to get some water. Want some?"

"Sure." Said Olivia, taking a bite of her sandwich. She was feeling guilty for sitting out here with Casey, but what was she supposed to do? She couldn't ask Casey to leave for no reason. She wondered if Elliot could hear the conversation from her bedroom.

"Liv?" she heard Casey from behind her, and Olivia swiveled around to look at her. She saw Casey standing there with two water bottles in her hands, starting down at a pair of men's shoes. Elliot's shoes. _Damn it_. She hadn't had any time to look around before she answered the door. Olivia must have had a guilty look on her face because Casey smiled. "Care to revise your answer Detective?" she asked, with a smug look on her face.

Olivia hesitated. She didn't know what to do or say. She and Elliot hadn't discussed telling anyone about their relationship. Well, they'd discussed it but she had decided she didn't want to tell anyone yet. She didn't know what to do when all of a sudden, she heard the bedroom door open. _Shit._ Casey's head swiveled and her jaw dropped as Elliot walked out of the bedroom in his jeans and a t-shirt. She looked back at Olivia and then back to Elliot, her mouth still open. "_I knew it!_" she yelled, as Elliot walked over towards her. "I _knew_ you two were sleeping together behind my back!"

Olivia stood up. "Casey, it's not like that." Olivia started to protest.

Casey rolled her eyes. "Come on. I'm not an idiot." She walked back to Olivia and handed her a bottle of water. "If you two weren't sleeping together, then why would you have had Elliot hide in the bedroom?"

Olivia looked over at Elliot and Elliot just shrugged. Casey laughed. "You two are so busted." She sat down on the couch and opened up her bottle of water. "OK, spill it. Tell me everything." She took a sip of water. "Well, maybe not everything." She winked at Olivia. "I'll get those details from Liv later on."

Elliot sat down next to Casey and looked over at Olivia. "Yeah Liv, spill it." He smiled at her and wiggled his eyebrows. She shot him a dirty look, but he was going to leave this in her court. She was the one that wanted to keep their relationship a secret, so he was going to let her be the one to tell Casey about their relationship. He reached over and snagged a part of Olivia's sandwich as Olivia started to tell Casey about what had happened on the rooftop of the precinct and pretty much everything since then. She left out the details of the sex life, much to Elliot's relief. But he had no doubt Olivia would share those details with Casey later on.

"So, it's only been a week?" Casey asked. "Since you've been _official_?"

Olivia nodded. "And we're not telling anyone yet." Olivia said. "And I mean it Casey." She said pointedly.

"Can I tell Aaron?" Casey asked.

Olivia sighed. "OK, but only if you think he won't tell anyone."

"He won't. I promise." Casey said. She had a huge grin on her face, so happy that the two of them had finally gotten together. "You know…this has been a long time coming. I think there's more than a few people that think you've been sleeping together for years." She smiled again. "But I knew you weren't."

"Why was that?" asked Olivia.

"There was too much sexual tension between you two. I would have known…" Casey said.

"Well, we have managed to have a few fights in the past week." Said Elliot, raising an eyebrow at Olivia. "So it wasn't all sexual tension."

Casey shook her head. "Yeah, you two are just so damn stubborn. You probably argue about whose going to be on top." She laughed and Olivia blushed.

"OK." Said Olivia. I think it's time for you to go."

Casey got a big smile on her face. "Oh. Right. I'm guessing I interrupted something."

"No. It's not that. We have to go to Kathleen's birthday dinner out in Queens." Elliot said and Olivia looked at him sharply. She had forgotten about the dinner.

Casey looked shocked. "Wow…you've been together for a week and you're going to dinner with the ex?" She nodded and made a face. "That's brave."

Olivia groaned. "I didn't plan it. Kathleen asked me and I couldn't say no. That was before we even…" She didn't finish that sentence; Casey could fill in the blanks.

Casey stood up. "Well, OK then. I'm out of here." She grabbed Olivia's arm as she walked to the door. "Walk me to the door." Olivia got up and followed her. Casey got to the door and turned to Olivia, whispering. "You have to tell me all the details Benson. I bet he's great in bed, isn't he? I want to hear _everything_."

"I can hear you Casey." Elliot said.

Olivia looked back at Elliot. "I'll take to you later Case." She pulled open the door and pushed her out, closing the door behind her.

_Please leave a review!_


	39. Chapter 39

_Hi everyone! Thanks for continuing to follow the story. Just a reminder that this takes place in roughly Season 7. Pre Gitano. Slightly AU because Kathy and Elliot are divorced, not just separated. Please leave a review!_

EOEOEOEOEO

Olivia shifted uncomfortably in the front seat, not quite believing she was on her way to the Stabler house. After she had pushed Casey out the door, she'd jumped in the shower, and spent a forty five minutes selecting and discarding outfits to wear. Since this was a birthday party, she'd wanted to dress up a little and had tried on several dresses and various outfits. She had finally selected a pretty sundress to wear, but as soon as she looked at herself in the mirror, she realized you could see the scrapes on her shoulder blades. She didn't want to have to explain _that_, so she had quickly stripped the dress off and threw it on the discard pile. After a few exasperated sighs from Elliot, and complaints about being late, she'd settled on some white capris and a light blue blouse.

She stole a glance at him and let out a heavy sigh, her hands fidgeting nervously in her lap. Even though she had been to the Stabler house many times for various events, she couldn't help being nervous. She hadn't really seen Kathy since the divorce was final, with the exception of the few times she dropped by the station house. And even then, it was never more than a "hi". Kathy had always been fairly civil to her in person, but after Elliot told her that she had been the subject of some of their fights, she couldn't help but think that there was probably a part of Kathy that blamed her for the divorce. And maybe now, her guilty conscious was adding to that perception.

"Why are you so nervous?" Elliot asked, noticing her discomfort. "You've been to my house a million times."

"I know." She said, continuing to stare straight ahead, watching the road in front of her. "But it's different."

"No, it's not. As far as anyone's concerned, nothing's changed." Elliot said, trying to put her at ease. "We're still just partners like before."

"I just feel like Kathy's going to know." Olivia said. She knew that it was an irrational thought, but she couldn't shake the feeling that somehow, she was going to give something away.

"Listen. We've been in the squad room and reverted back to normal Benson and Stabler mode. No one had said anything to us or seems to have noticed that anything's changed. So why do you think this is going to be any different?"

"You said yourself that the two of you fought about me." Olivia fired back.

Elliot quickly glanced over at her before turning his attention back to the road. "We were fighting. Lots of shit comes up when you're fighting. She knows nothing happened between us."

"Yes, but does she think we _wanted_ something to happen? There's a difference but…"

"Liv. Stop it. Please. It's going to be fine. Don't make something out of nothing. We're here for a party, just like you've been here for other parties."

Olivia let out another sigh. She knew Elliot was right. No one was expecting anything to be different between them, so no one would looking for anything. She shouldn't expect that anyone would be analyzing their behavior. She was just being paranoid.

"You're right. I just need to relax. This is just like any of the other times I've been at your house." She repeated what Elliot had said, almost as if she was trying to convince herself. She took a few more deep breaths, trying to calm down. She blew a breath out threw pursed lips. "It's fine. I'm OK. I can do this."

Elliot laughed. "Are you telling me or telling yourself?"

"Myself." She said. She reached over and placed a hand on his thigh. "Thanks."

"You'd better practice keeping your hands off me." joked Elliot. "_That_ they might notice."

Olivia shot him a dirty look. "Ha Ha. I'll try to control myself." She pulled her hand back as they pulled onto the street where the Stabler house was located. Elliot pulled up to the curb and turned off the car. He looked over at Olivia and smiled.

"Ready?" he asked, opening the car door.

"As ready as I'm ever going to be." She said, getting out of the car. She came around and helped Elliot as he got the presents out of the back seat. They walked up to the house and the door opened before they even reached it. Elizabeth came running out and wrapped her arms around Olivia.

"Olivia! It's so happy to see you!" she said, wrapping both arms around Olivia's waist. Olivia wrapped her free arm around the girl and looked over at Elliot.

"Hey! What about your dad?" Elliot asked, pretending to be offended.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, but didn't let Olivia go. "I see you all the time Dad. I never get to see Olivia!" Elizabeth kept her arm wrapped around Olivia as they walked into the house. As soon as they were inside the door, Kathleen walked up.

"Hi Olivia! I'm so glad you came!" Kathleen said, pushing her little sister out of the way and giving Olivia a big hug.

"Happy Birthday." Said Olivia, handing the gift she'd brought to the girl.

"Why did I even bother coming to this party?" Elliot asked, teasing Kathleen as he pulled her away from Olivia and hugged her. "Don't forget who brought you into this world." He joked, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Happy Birthday sweetheart." He handed her two big boxes and she took them, along with Olivia's present, into the living room.

Kathy walked out of the kitchen with Dickie in tow. "Olivia, I'm so glad you could make it." She said, smiling at Olivia.

Olivia smiled back, hearing the strained sincerity in her voice. Kathy was always very polite with her, despite her personal feelings. Olivia was grateful because she wasn't so sure she could be so gracious if their roles were reversed.

Elliot walked over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Hey Kath." He said. "Good to see you." He kept walking towards the kitchen, leaving Olivia alone with Kathy. "Something smells good." He said as he disappeared into the kitchen.

Olivia wasn't sure what to say, and was ready to kill Elliot for leaving her alone with Kathy. "Thanks for inviting me today. I don't get to see the kids very often. I'm surprised at how much they've grown every time I see them." She said, giving Kathy a small smile.

"Kathleen invited you." Kathy pointed out as she turned towards the kitchen. "But of course, we're all happy to see you."

Olivia was slightly shocked at her initial comment, and by her weak attempt to cover it at the end. She stood for a moment, trying to determine if Kathy had really meant it how it sounded, or if she was reading too much into the comment. She wasn't certain. As she stood there, Kathleen came up to her.

"We're in the backyard. Let's go out and get something to drink." She said. She looped her arm through Olivia's and led her through the kitchen and out the back door to the deck. As she passed through the kitchen, she stole a look at Kathy. She was surprised to see Kathy watching her, so she quickly turned her attention back to Kathleen and asked a question about school.

EOEOEOEOEOEOEO

When they got out on the deck, Olivia got a hug from Maureen. She was genuinely happy to see the kids. Elliot talked about them constantly and she'd gotten to know them fairly well over the past 7 years, so it was always fun to catch up. Elliot reached into the cooler beside him and pulled out a beer, handing it to her as she sat down. They spent the next hour talking with the kids, getting caught up on school, sports, friends, boyfriends and other topics, and Kathy never made an appearance. Olivia started to relax and was on her second beer when Kathy leaned out the back door and told everyone to come inside for dinner.

Kathleen asked Olivia to sit next to her, and Elizabeth was quick to nab the open seat on the other side.

"Something smells wonderful." Olivia said as she sat down.

"It's my birthday so I get to pick what we have for dinner. We're having lasagna. It's my favorite." said Kathleen, as Kathy set a large casserole dish down on the table. Kathy dished up the lasagna and salad and they passed some garlic bread and Olivia was enjoying herself. It had been great to catch up with the kids and Elliot was really happy to be spending some time with them. It hadn't been nearly as awkward as she had imagined it would be.

"So Olivia. What have you been up to lately?" asked Kathy. "Elliot used to talk about you all the time, but since I don't get to see Elliot that often anymore, I don't get to hear about all the wonderful things you're doing."

Olivia's eyes flicked to Elliot and then back to Kathy. Elliot kept eating and the kids seemed oblivious to her comment, but Olivia could hear the edge in her voice. So much for the evening going smoothly.

"Not much. Just working a lot. And my friend Casey is getting married, so I've been helping her with wedding arrangements. You know, shopping for her dress, planning her shower…things like that."

"Casey? I think I've heard that name before." Kathy said. "So you're the maid of honor then?"

Olivia nodded. "Yeah. It's a lot of work but it's fun."

"So speaking of weddings, are you seeing anyone?" Kathy asked.

Olivia hesitated a second. There was going to be a moment when they were going to have to tell Kathy and the kids, but she knew it wasn't right now. She didn't want to lie and have to face that later, so she was considering her words carefully.

"I just started seeing someone…"

Before she could continue, Kathleen and Maureen both squealed. "Who is it? What's his name?"

Olivia smiled at their enthusiasm. "I don't want to talk about it. I don't know if it's going to work out or not, and I don't want to jinx it." She said, trying to extricate herself from the conversation Kathy had started.

Kathleen groaned. "C'mon Olivia. Just give us something."

Elliot piped in, his eyes flicking over to Olivia and then back to Kathleen. "Let Olivia keep her private life to herself girls." He grumbled, taking another bite of his lasagna.

Olivia silently thanked him, hoping the girls would listen to him.

"Yes girls." Kathy chimed in. "When Olivia's ready to let us know who she's seeing, I'm sure she'll tell us."

Olivia swallowed and looked down at her plate. _Shit. Shit. Shit._ Did Kathy know? It certainly sounded like it, but now Olivia really didn't know if she could trust her instincts when it came to what she was hearing. She didn't dare look at Elliot. She laughed a small, hollow laugh. "I'll invite you to the wedding." She joked, her voice a little shaky. She looked over at Kathleen, trying to change the subject. "When do you open your gifts?"

Kathleen looked at her mom and then at her dad, setting her fork down. "Now?"

"Let everyone finish eating Kathleen." Said Kathy.

Kathleen whined. "Mom. Everyone's done."

"I'm not done." Said Dick and Kathleen shot him a dirty look.

"Well, hurry up!" she said.

Everyone finished eating and everyone moved into the living room so Kathleen could open her gifts. Elliot raised an eyebrow when he saw the shirt and skirt that Olivia had given to Kathleen."

"Is that a skirt or a headband?" he asked, trying to grab the skirt from Kathleen.

"Very funny dad." Kathleen turned to Olivia. "Thanks, I love it!" She gave Olivia a big hug before moving on the rest of her presents.

When they were all done, Kathy got up. "I'm going to clean up the kitchen before we have cake." She turned to Olivia. "Can you help me?" she asked.

Olivia was surprised. "Sure." She stood up. She didn't mind helping Kathy, but she didn't want to be alone with her. Elliot seemed to notice her discomfort.

"I'll help too." He said, standing up.

"No. You stay here." Kathy said, motioning for him to sit down and smiling at Olivia. "Olivia and I can handle it."

Elliot hesitated and looked at Olivia, but Olivia was already walking into the kitchen.

EOEOEOEOEO

Olivia started clearing plates from the table and setting them on the counter as Kathy rinsed them and put them in the dishwasher.

Kathy leaned against the counter. "So Olivia…"

Olivia stopped gathering up stuff from the table and turned to look at her. She didn't say anything, waiting for her to continue.

"How's Elliot doing?"

"What do you mean?" Olivia asked cautiously. She didn't want to volunteer any information until she was sure what Kathy was asking.

"I just mean, you know, how's he doing? Elliot internalizes everything, but I feel like if he's going to talk to anyone, it's you." She looked down at her hands. "You and Elliot…you share something I can't understand. I know it's because of the job and the things you see every day. I know he tells you things he would never tell me. Could never tell me."

Olivia shrugged. "I guess he's fine. He hasn't really said too much to me about anything. I know he misses seeing the kids every day."

Kathy let out a small laugh. "When did he ever see the kids every day?"

"Kathy…he wanted to be here. He talked about you guys all the time."

Kathy's head shot up and she looked at Olivia for a second. "I wish I could believe that." She paused, still looking at Olivia. She looked as if she was debating what to say next. She turned back towards the counter, her hands gripping the countertop. "When Elliot told me he had a new partner, I told him to bring you home for dinner sometime. He didn't for a long time. And I couldn't understand why. It was what? A year? And when you walked through that door the first time, I understood why. I was expecting some dumpy, middle aged woman and then you walked in. I couldn't believe it. Here was the tall, dark, gorgeous woman and suddenly I felt like some stupid, frumpy housewife. You scared the hell out of me."

"Kathy." Olivia said in a pleading tone.

Kathy interrupted. "Just…I need to get this out." She placed her hands on the counter, palms down. "Elliot and I got in a big fight later than night, but he assured me that he wasn't attracted to you; that you were just partners. And I let it go."

Olivia let her speak but she was silently wishing for Elliot to come in and interrupt them. She could hear him in the other room, messing around with the kids. They were all talking and laughing and she knew that Elliot couldn't hear anything going on in the kitchen.

"Things seemed to be fine for a while. We had you over lots of times. I watched you two. I didn't notice anything…" she said. She turned back towards Olivia. "Did you know that a couple of years ago I asked Elliot to get a new partner?"

Olivia was caught off-guard. She'd been focused on what Kathy was saying, and worrying about what she was going to say next. "What?"

"I could tell things had changed. He spent more and more time at work…with you." She let out a small laugh and shook her head. "When I asked him to change partners, he refused. He outright refused." She looked back down at her hands. "And that's when I knew."

Olivia swallowed hard. Elliot had never told her any of this, but when she thought back to her and Elliot's relationship, she knew that Kathy was right. It had been a couple of years ago that things between them seemed to become more intense. That's when she had started to wonder more about what could be. She looked down at the floor because she didn't think she could look Kathy in the eye without looking guilty. Because whatever she and Elliot had told themselves…despite the fact that they hadn't cheated physically, she knew that they had cheated emotionally.

"Kathy. Whatever you think happened between Elliot and me…"

"Olivia. I know Elliot never cheated on me. At least physically. He's not built that way." Kathy said slowly. "But he couldn't stop himself from falling in love with you."


	40. Chapter 40

_Thanks for your patience in waiting for the next update. And thanks to __**Writersrefinery**__ for keeping up the pressure with her two chapter update._

_I took the time this past week to re-read this entire story, just to refresh my mind and see where we needed to go. As I read through, I noticed some inconsistencies, so I apologize for that. I guess that's what happens when you write it over a long period of time, and you have multiple stories going. I also apologize as some of it is kind of cheesy. I'll try to do better!_

_As always, thanks for your awesome reviews and comments. It's been a tough weekend for Olivia…let's see what happens next and please leave a review!_

EOEOEOEOEOEO

"What?" Olivia stuttered over the word. Even though she knew it was true, it was shocking to hear it come out of Kathy's mouth. She was mortified. She had no idea that Kathy knew. Elliot had told her that her name had come up in fights before, but he'd never told her that Kathy had accused him of falling in love with his partner, or that she had asked him to change partners. _Did she have a larger role in their divorce than she thought?_ "Kathy. I never wanted to come in between you and Elliot." Olivia said.

"Don't you think I know that?" asked Kathy, her voice tinged with anger. "That's what makes this so difficult for me." She took a few steps away from the counter, towards Olivia. "You're a good person Olivia. By being Elliot's partner for so long, you've become a part of our family. My kids love you. You've saved Elliot's life more than once. You've made sure that Elliot comes home to his family safe and sound. Sometimes I think you cared more about our marriage than Elliot did."

"Kathy…that's not true." Olivia's mind was racing; she didn't know what to say. How was she supposed to respond? If Kathy came out and asked her if she and Elliot were sleeping together, she wasn't going to lie to her. But she did _NOT_ want to be the one to tell Kathy; at least not by herself.

Kathy shook her head. "Do you have any idea how hard it was to have him go off to work every day…knowing that he was happy to leave the house? Happy he was going to see _you_?"

Olivia opened her mouth to say something, but Kathy started back up before she could utter a word.

"Over these past few years, I kept telling myself that it wasn't true; that I was imagining something that wasn't there. I let a lot of things slide, preferring not to think about it. But finally…I just realized it was over. That I wasn't going to get him back."

Olivia could see tears on Kathy's lower lashes and now she really didn't know what to do or say. She felt sick to her stomach. She felt as if everything her mother had said about her had come true…she was trouble…she was sin…she was a homewrecker. She turned away from Kathy; she needed to get the hell out of there.

"Do you love him?" Kathy asked and Olivia's breath hitched and he head snapped back up, her attention riveted back on Kathy.

"Kathy…" Olivia whispered, hesitating…unsure of how to answer. Suddenly, Dickie came racing into the kitchen and Olivia let out the breath she was holding.

"We're sick of waiting for the cake!" he yelled as he slid across the kitchen floor in his socks. "What's taking so long?" He stopped in front of the cake that was sitting on the counter, completely oblivious to the tension in the room. Elliot, Maureen, Kathleen and Liz walked into the kitchen.

"I'm ready for cake!" said Kathleen.

Elliot looked around the kitchen, taking in the mess. "What have you guys been doing in here?" he laughed, picking up some plates from the table. Kathy turned back towards the sink, hiding her emotion from everyone. Elliot looked over at Olivia and felt a knot of dread form in his stomach when he saw the look on her face. He looked over and noticed Kathy's posture and he knew something had happened. He turned back towards Olivia, an eyebrow raised in question, but she had gotten up from the table and headed out towards the living room. He wanted to follow her and find out what the hell had happened but he didn't dare; especially since didn't know what had transpired in the kitchen.

"Mom?" Kathleen asked.

Kathy turned around, a small smile on her face. She shot a look at Elliot and then walked over to the cake. She picked it up and walked back over to the table.

"Kids. Grab the rest of the plates and clear off this mess. Just put them on the counter." She seemed to have regained her composure, but Elliot noticed a strain in her voice. The kids cleared the dishes while she put the candles in the cake. "Elliot, will you get the matches?"

Elliot walked over and got the matches and started lighting the candles.

"Where's Olivia?" asked Kathleen, looking around. "We have to wait for her."

Kathy blew out the candles. "Fine."

Elliot could her anger in her tone. He wanted to go look for her but he didn't think that was a wise decision right now. He turned to Liz. "Why don't you see if you can find her." He said and Liz ran out the room.

Liz came into the kitchen a minute later. "She's in the bathroom. She said she'll be out in a minute but to go ahead without her."

They lit the candles again, sang Happy Birthday to Kathleen and served up the cake. Olivia walked back into the kitchen about ten minutes later, and passed on the birthday cake.

"Are you feeling OK?" Elliot asked.

"I'm fine." Olivia said, smiling back at everyone. "Just full from dinner."

Everyone chatted around the table and Olivia avoided looking at Elliot or Kathy. The kids seemed to be oblivious to the tension, and Kathleen was having a good time.

Maureen stood up. "I'm sorry, but I have to get going. I have to work early in the morning."

"Maureen." Said Kathy, in a disapproving tone.

"Mom. C'mon. Kathleen's going to go out with her friends later anyway."

Olivia stood up. "Hey Mo. Do you care if I hitch a ride into the city? You can just go to your apartment and I'll take a cab from there."

Elliot spoke up. "Liv. I can give you a ride back."

Olivia put up her hand. "No. You stay. Spend some more time here with your family. I'm just really tired and I'm ready to go home."

Elliot couldn't argue with her without raising suspicion, but he was even more worried about what had transpired between her and Kathy.

"That's fine Olivia. It will be nice to have company." Said Maureen.

Kathleen stood up. "I'm so glad you came Olivia." She said. "Thanks for the gift!" She gave Olivia a hug.

Liz came up and gave her a big hug. "I wish you weren't going." She said.

Dick looked over at her, and gave her a small wave. "Bye Olivia."

Kathy stood up. "I'll walk you out."

"I'll talk to you later Liv." Said Elliot, turning back to the kids.

She smiled. "Sounds good." She walked out with Maureen, Kathy following them to the door. When they reached the door, Kathy gave Maureen a hug.

"Drive safely honey." She said, giving her daughter a kiss on the cheek.

She looked over at Olivia and Olivia froze as Maureen walked out the door. "It was good to see you Olivia. Thanks for coming."

Olivia just nodded, thankful she didn't say anything else, and she followed Maureen out to the car.

EOEOEOEOEOEO

Olivia had managed to hold herself together until she got to her apartment. Once she was inside, she shut the door and leaned against it, sliding down until she was sitting with her back against it. She waited for tears to come, but they didn't. Instead, she fought with this queasiness in her stomach; her nerves in knots. She let out a heavy sigh…and thought back to everything that Elliot had told her. He'd told her that he and Kathy had grown apart. That after 20+ years of marriage, they weren't in love with each other anymore. That the kids weren't enough of a reason to stay together any longer. He had also told her that he'd fallen in love with her, but that wasn't the reason he had left. But now, after talking to Kathy, she doubted everything he'd said.

Suddenly, she couldn't hold it in any longer. She jumped up and ran into the bathroom, losing the contents of dinner into the toilet. When she didn't have anything left in her system, she sat back down on the cold tile floor and rested her back against the cabinets. She could hear her mother's voice in her head. Telling her that she was born of sin. That her beauty and her body would always be her downfall. That she would only cause ruin and heartache. She hadn't wanted to believe it. She'd believed she'd spent her life trying to prove her wrong. And yet, here she was.

Suddenly, she was exhausted. These last few weeks…everything that had happened, had taken its' toll on her mind and body…she was emotionally exhausted. She stood up and stripped off her clothes, starting the shower. She stood in the shower, the hot water pouring over her as she leaned with her arms against the wall. As the water streamed down her body, the tears came, and she cried until she had nothing left.

When the water started to get cold, she turned the shower off and stepped out, toweling herself off and wrapping the towel around her head. She walked into the bedroom and pulled out some leggings and a t-shirt. She got dressed and walked out into the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of water from the refrigerator. She looked at her phone on the counter, and saw she didn't have any messages. Elliot must still be at the house, because she knew as soon as he left, he would be calling or texting her. He knew something had happened; he just didn't know what. She looked at the time, and saw it was only 1030. She looked towards her bedroom. _Fuck it_. She was tired, and she was going to go to bed. She grabbed her phone and crawled into bed, exhaustion setting in and letting her fall asleep within minutes.

EOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO

Back at the Stabler house, they sat around in the kitchen after Maureen and Olivia had left. Close to 10:00, Kathleen excused herself, telling her parents she was going out with friends. Liz and Dick drifted up to their individual rooms, leaving Elliot and Kathy to clean up the mess.

Elliot wasn't sure how to broach the subject of what had happened between Kathy and Olivia; he wasn't even sure he wanted to ask. Maybe it would be better to hear it from Olivia.

Elliot was loading dishes into the dishwasher, his back to Kathy, when he heard Kathy clear her throat. Elliot turned around and saw Kathy sitting down at the table, looking at him.

"Do you want to ask me what Olivia and I were talking about?" she asked.

Elliot pursed his lips and leaned against the counter, facing her. "Sure."

"Then ask me." She said.

Elliot furrowed his brow. He could hear the anger in her voice. She was obviously going to make this difficult. His thoughts went back to Olivia and how upset she seemed when she left. "What did you and Olivia talk about?"

Kathy cocked her head and looked at him. "Maybe you should ask her." Her tone was flat and cold.

Elliot scrubbed his hands over his face. He wasn't in the mood for games. "Fine." He pushed up off the counter, and leaned over, lifting up the dishwasher door and slamming it shut. He turned back and started walking towards the living room. "I'm gonna go."

As he walked by Kathy, she stood up and grabbed his arm. "Elliot."

He stopped, turning to look at her. He didn't say anything.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound like such a bitch." Kathy sat back down. "I guess I'm just still having trouble adjusting." She looked up at him. "Please don't go."

Elliot paused. He was really torn. He wanted to go to Olivia's and talk to her, but he knew he owed it to Kathy to hear her out as well. He turned back towards her and sat down in the chair next to her.

"I know. It's hard." Elliot said. "I still walk into my apartment and have a hard time believing I live there." He looked around. "At least you're still in the house and with the kids every day."

"Yeah…I guess." She said, looking down at the table.

"Kathy. We've talked about this over and over. I still think it was the right thing to do. We weren't happy." Elliot said. He reached over and took her hand. "We got married so young. We're different people now. You deserve to find someone that loves you. You deserve to be happy."

"And what about you?" Kathy asked.

Elliot hesitated a second. He really wanted to know what she and Olivia had talked about. "What about me?"

"Have you told Olivia that you love her?" she asked.

"Kathy…" Elliot said softly, shocked by her words. It was true that Kathy had accused him of being in love with her, but he had never admitted it. He thought about Olivia then; about the future he had planned for them…and he knew he'd have to tell her. "Yes. I have."

Kathy gasped softly. She had known…but to hear it from Elliot was heartbreaking. "Does she love you?"

Elliot nodded. He could see the sadness in her eyes and it made him feel horrible. Despite the fact that their marriage was over, he would always love Kathy. And he knew that when she found someone else, it would be hard for him too.

Kathy tried to pull her hand out from underneath his but he held it tight.

"Kathy. I will always love you. I'll always be here for you and the kids. Always."

Now it was Kathy's turn to nod. Elliot could tell she was trying hard not to cry. He stood up and pulled her up, wrapping his arms around her.

Dickie walked into the kitchen. "I'm hungry." He said, but stopped when he saw his parents hugging. "What's going on?" he asked.

Kathy pulled away. "Nothing. Your dad was just leaving." She said. "Say goodnight." She told him as she walked out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

"Why is mom upset?" Dickie asked, glaring at his dad. He was old enough now to understand the tension between his parents. He was sick of seeing his mom upset, crying over something his dad did, or didn't do.

"It's nothing." Elliot said. He didn't want to get into this discussion with the kids right now. "We were just talking. Sometimes it's hard to adjust, you know?" He reached over to pull Dickie into a hug, but Dickie pushed back.

"Whatever Dad." He grabbed something out of the refrigerator and headed back upstairs.

"We'll talk later." Elliot yelled up after him, but he heard Dickies' door close with no reply.

Elliot sighed. He turned off the lights in the living room and headed for the door, making sure the outside lights were on for Kathleen. He locked the door behind him and got into his car. He pulled out his phone and checked his messages. He didn't have any new messages, so he flipped open his phone and hit #1 on his speed dial. The phone range 5 or 6 times before he heard Olivia answer.

"Hello." Her voice was sleepy and he knew he had woken her up.

"Sorry. Were you sleeping?" he asked.

"Yeah. What time is it?" She felt like she had been sleeping for hours.

"I'm not sure. A little before 11." Elliot said.

"Hmm."

"Are you OK?" he asked.

She hesitated. For a moment, in that time between sleeping and waking, she had forgotten about the evening and her conversation with Kathy. Now it all came rushing back.

"Olivia?" Elliot asked, worried that she hadn't answered.

"I'm fine." She whispered, giving her standard answer. At this point, she really didn't know how she felt besides incredibly overwhelmed.

"I don't think I believe you." Said Elliot. He could hear the strain in her voice. "Can I come over? Please?" He was truly worried about her. He was worried about what Kathy might have said to her, worried about what was going through her head right now, worried about her tendency to overanalyze everything and worried she was going to shut him out. "Please Liv."

The line was quiet for a minute and Elliot could hear Olivia breathing on the other end. He didn't want to push her but he needed to talk to her. "Please." He whispered into the phone.

"Yes." She said quietly. "I need you."


	41. Chapter 41

_Thanks for your patience as I've been working on the next chapter. It's been a crazy week but I finally have some time to write! Thanks for continuing to read my stories and I really appreciate you're reviews. A special shout out to those that consistently read and review (in no particular order!): __**writersrefinery, lillybug991, edge15684, the congressman, roanie123, spacekitten2700, cinderella1268, lacenleather24, **__and __**ragdolly216**__. I know there are others too. I'll catch you next time, so keep reviewing please!_

EOEOEOEOEOEO

Olivia had been lying awake since she'd hung up with Elliot. Her mind was racing with everything that had happened over the past two weeks and the things that had come up in her conversation with Kathy. Her normally quiet life…her normal routine…was all shot to hell. She was used to working crazy hours and then coming home to a nice quiet apartment to catch a few hours of sleep. But since that night with Jack Spencer, it had been a whirlwind of emotions and a large amount of stress. The situation with Jack, the concern about a potential pregnancy, the new relationship with Elliot, fears about the impact of that on his kids, and their job. She had been blindsided by the discussion with Kathy…she had known going to that birthday dinner was a bad idea.

She rolled over on her side and looked at the clock. Elliot would be there in less than half an hour. She sighed. Her first instinct had been to shut him out. It was all too much to deal with. That's what the old Olivia would have done. But as she stood in the shower, her tears running down the drain, she remembered her promise to Elliot. That she would be honest with him…that she was committed to their relationship. And she realized that despite the craziness of the past two weeks, she didn't want to run. She wanted to see him. She needed to see him. So even though it scared the shit out of her, when Elliot called, she'd told him exactly that. She closed her eyes and sighed again, nerves running through her body.

EOEOEOEOEO

Elliot slid the key into the lock, nervous about seeing Olivia. She knew Olivia's penchant for running when things got intense. And even though he wasn't sure what had happened tonight, he knew it couldn't be good. He took it as a good sign that she'd let him come over…hopefully it wasn't to end things between them. He opened the door quietly and poked his head in.

"Liv?" he said quietly. He could see light coming from her bedroom, her door ajar. He let himself in and shut the door quietly behind him. He toed off his shoes and walked quietly over to the bedroom door. If she was sleeping, he didn't want to wake her up. He peeked through the opening in the door and saw her lying with her back to the door, curled up on her side.

"Liv?" he whispered. She didn't move so he pushed the door open and crept towards the bed. He walked around the other side and saw she had her eyes closed. Her breathing was slow; she appeared to be sleeping. He hesitated a minute, unsure about what to do. He wanted to talk to her, but she had obviously been exhausted. They could always talk in the morning. He shifted on his feet, trying to decide if he should go sleep on the couch or if he should slide into bed with her. He decided on the couch, so he didn't wake her. He turned to walk back around the bed when he heard her breath hitch.

"Don't go." She whispered and he turned to look at her. Her eyes were open and they looked red, as if she'd been crying. Despite her olive skin, she looked pale and tired, and he felt horrible. She held out her hand, a pleading look in her eyes. "El…"

He pulled back the comforter. "I'm here Liv." He crawled into bed and she immediately scooted over to him, burying her face in his chest and molding her body into his. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, placing a kiss on crown of her head. "Are you OK?" he asked, rubbing one hand up and down her back while the other traced the skin at her waist with his thumb.

"I don't want to talk." She whispered. "OK?"

"Liv. We need to talk about what happened tonight." Elliot said softly.

"Not now El." She said, looking up at him. "Please." She eyes moving back and forth between his. "I just want to sleep."

Elliot pulled her close and kissed the top of her head again. "Sleep." He said quietly.

"Elliot?" he heard her say his name quietly.

"Yeah?"

"I love you." Olivia snuggled in and relaxed into Elliot's body.

Elliot closed his eyes, content to be laying there with her.

EOEOEOEOEO

When Elliot woke up in the morning, Olivia was gone. He heard the shower running and he looked over at the clock. It was already 9AM, and he couldn't believe he had slept that late. He hesitated a moment, but then crawled out of bed. He walked towards the bathroom, and opened the door quietly. He could see the outline of her form behind the shower curtain. He hesitated; unsure about what to do. He wanted to join her, but he wasn't quite sure how she would react. He walked into the bathroom a little farther, deciding he should leave it up to her instead of just popping in the shower.

"Liv?" he said, just loud enough for her to hear over the running water.

He could see her startle slightly and then he saw her turn and pull back the shower curtain slightly, poking her face around towards him.

"You scared me." She said. She wasn't smiling but she didn't look as upset as she did when he got there last night.

"Sorry." He saw her run her eyes up and down his body. Just thinking of her naked in the shower…and the thought of potentially joining her, had stirred his arousal and he was self-conscious of the visual he was presenting to her now. He started to turn away. "I'll just wait out here." He said, not sure of where things stood between them this morning.

"No." she whispered, holding out her hand. "Come here." She gave him a shy smile then and he smiled back at her. He quickly dropped his underwear and stepped into the shower with her. As soon as he pulled the shower curtain shut, she was on him. She pushed him against the shower wall and crushed her lips against his, running her hands downs his arms. He ran his hands up her arms, brushing the sides of her breasts. He kept going, cupping her cheeks as they kissed, his tongue pushing into her mouth.

She pushed up against him and he tangled a hand in her hair. His other hand dropped down to her hip and he pulled her against his erection. He groaned into her mouth. "God Liv." He mumbled, turning them around so he was pressing her back against the shower wall. He grasped her hands with his and pinned them against the shower wall near her head, dropping his lips to her neck as she dropped her head back against the wall and moaned. Her moan went right to his groin and he pushed his erection into her hip. She pushed back against him, earning another groan from him.

"El…" she moaned, pushing against his hands. He released her wrists and she immediately reached down, trying to slide her hand between them. She brushed the tip of his hardened member with her hand and his entire body jolted at her touch. He pulled back slightly and she slid her hand down his shaft, applying just enough pressure as he thrust into her hand.

_Jesus Christ. _

His forehead fell against her shoulder and he groaned as she continued to stroke him. She pushed him back slightly and he lost contact with her body; he could only concentrate on the feeling of her hand on him. He didn't want to come in her hand but he didn't want her stop, waves of pleasure coursing through his body.

"No." he whispered hoarsely against her neck. "Stop." He said, putting his hand on hers, trying to still her but she pushed his hand away.

"No." she whispered back in his ear, tightening her grip and Elliot groaned again. Olivia put one hand on his shoulder and turned them around again, so his back was against the wall. She continued to stroke him while she trailed her tongue from his ear, down his neck. When she reached the tender spot where his neck met his shoulder, she bit him lightly and then soothed it with her tongue. Then she smoothed her lips on the spot, sucking the skin there…marking him. She felt his breath hitch as he throbbed in her hand, and she could tell he was close. She increased the pace, meeting him as his hips thrust into her hand. She trailed her tongue back up his neck until she reached his ear.

"Come for me El." She whispered, and goosebumps erupted across his skin. He moaned loudly and jerked his hips forward, shuddering as he came hard. Olivia continued to stroke him as he groaned.

"FuckingALiv" he gasped, mumbling the words together as he laid his head back against the tile. She slowly took her hand off of him, placing gentle kisses across his chest. He lifted his head up and pulled her body back to his, devouring her mouth with his. He hands ran up her body and he grasped one of her breasts in his hand, massaging it and running his thumb across her nipple. His other hand ran down her hip and he let it slide to her inner thigh. She opened her stance slightly, giving him better access and he ran his fingers between his folds. She moaned at his touch and he could feel how wet she was. He dropped his lips back down to her ear again.

"God Liv. I want you." He whispered against her ear and she moaned again, losing herself as his fingers continued rubbing against her.

"Stop." She gasped, but Elliot kept his hands on her, his fingers teasing her. She moaned, but pushed her hands against his shoulders. "Stop." She moaned, pushing him back. He lost contact with her then, looking up at her eyes with a questioning look. "The water's getting cold." She said softly. Elliot stood up and realized she was right; the water had started to turn cold. He pulled the shower curtain back and stepped out, reaching for a towel and wrapping it around his waist. He grabbed another towel and wrapped it around Olivia as she stepped out. He grabbed another towel and draped it over her head, and she towel dried her hair a little, dropping the towel on the floor.

Olivia took a few steps towards the bathroom door and then turned slightly, looking back at Elliot. She gave him another shy smile and dropped the towel that had been wrapped around her body. "Now where were we?" she said, as she walked towards the bedroom.

EOEOEOEO

Olivia woke up slowly, a small smile playing across her lips as she felt Elliot's body tight against her back. He had one arm resting under her neck and his other hand splayed across her stomach, holding her close. He was snoring lightly into the back of her head and she closed her eyes, enjoying the moment. She glanced over at the clock and saw it was almost noon already. She sighed. It would be wonderful to spend every Sunday morning like this, making love to Elliot and then sleeping in his arms. She closed her eyes again, envisioning what life together could be like. She never saw herself in a domestic setting; she never had any kind of family life as a child to use as a model. But she had always wanted it…a husband…a baby…a family. She sighed again and dropped her hand on top of Elliot's, running her hand lightly up and down his forearm.

Elliot stirred in his sleep, murmuring against her hair. She lifted his hand gently and slid out from underneath his arm, placing it gently back on the bed. She grabbed a tank top and a pair of leggings from her drawer and quietly got dressed. She snuck out of the bedroom quietly and moved into the kitchen, in desperate need of coffee.

_More to come! Leave a review!_


	42. Chapter 42

_Here's another chapter. I hope you're still enjoying the story. I would love it if you would leave a review. If you've never left a review before…leave one now!_

EOEOEOEO

Olivia poured herself a mug of coffee and looked in the refrigerator. She would really have liked some eggs, but there wasn't much of anything there. She'd been gone the past two nights and hadn't had a chance to go to the market. She leaned against the counter and took a sip of coffee. She thought back to everything that had happened last night and this morning. The discussion with Kathy seemed so long ago; it almost seemed like it hadn't happened. But she knew it had…

She looked up as she saw Elliot come through the bedroom door, dressed in his jeans but no shirt. He smiled when he saw her leaning against the counter.

"Good morning." He said, walking towards her.

"Good morning." She said. "Do you want some coffee?"

Elliot nodded. "That sounds great."

Olivia turned back towards the coffeemaker and poured coffee into the mug sitting on the counter. She turned and handed it him and he leaned in and kissed her gently on the cheek. He took a couple of steps backwards and leaned against the counter opposite her, taking a sip of his coffee.

"I wanted to make breakfast." Olivia started.

"But you don't have any food." Elliot interrupted, smiling at her.

She nodded. "Sorry."

"It's fine Liv. I didn't expect breakfast." He took another sip of coffee. "I'd be happy to take you out for breakfast, or I can run to the market and make breakfast for you. Whatever you want."

"Whatever I want?" she raised an eyebrow at him.

Elliot narrowed his eyes at her. "You told me that _I _have a one track mind Benson…" he teased. He knew that part of her was trying to avoid talking about what had happened the night before, and he didn't want to push her. But he wasn't going to let her distract him either…

Olivia smiled. "I didn't say anything. It's your dirty mind."

"Ha! Right." He stood up from where he was leaning against the counter. "I'm going to get dressed and run to the market. I'll make us some breakfast and then we can talk about last night."

The smile left Olivia's face. She knew that he wouldn't let it drop, but she'd been enjoying the morning. "Do we have to?" she asked.

Elliot cocked his head, giving her a look.

"I know." She said. "I know."

Elliot walked over and gave her a gentle kiss on the lips. "It's OK Liv." He kissed her again. "We're going to be fine."

EOEOEOEO

Olivia decided to take a shower while Elliot ran to the store. She never had a chance to finish her shower this morning, and she smiled at the memory of her shower with Elliot…and afterwards in the bedroom. She could still feel the ache between her legs and she smiled again. She hadn't had this much sex in a long time; at least not over this short period of time. She could _definitely_ get used to this.

She finished up her shower and got out, towel drying her hair and rubbing lotion on her body. She heard the front door as she was getting dressed.

"I'll be out in a few minutes" she yelled as she heard Elliot rustling bags in the kitchen.

"Take your time. It'll be a few minutes." Elliot yelled back and she smiled. _Yes. She could definitely get used to this._

EOEOEOEOEO

They had finished eating breakfast and Olivia was leaning back in her chair, sipping from her mug of coffee.

"Do you want to tell me what happened last night?" Elliot asked, leaning back in his chair, mimicking Olivia's body language.

"Not really." Olivia said. She knew that wasn't going to fly, but she thought she'd give it a try.

Elliot cocked his head and pursed his lips together. "Liv…"

Olivia sighed, considering what she wanted to tell him.

"Don't sit there trying to decide what you're going to tell me." Elliot said and Olivia mumbled under her breath. He knew her so goddamn well.

"She just caught me by surprise El. She asked me how you were doing and I said I didn't really know. That you didn't really talk about it." She set her mug down. "And I thought that was the end of it." She started to pick at her nail polish. "Then she launched into a story about the first time she met me…and how she had been worried about us having an affair. And how over the years, I'd just become part of the family and she'd let that go."

She looked up at Elliot and he was just nodding. He raised his eyebrows, as if telling her to continue.

Olivia looked back down at her nails. "But she said she noticed that things had changed the past couple of years…" her voice trailed off again. "She told me that she knew you had fallen in love with me."

Elliot reached over towards her, trying to reach her hand, but she pulled back.

"Just let me finish." She said, her voice tense. She took another sip of coffee. "I didn't know what to say. I told her that I never wanted to come between you two…that you'd never cheated on her." She looked over at Elliot. "But didn't we cheat? I mean…we both knew we had feelings for each other. Even though we never acted on them…we were close Elliot. Closer than we should have been."

Elliot saw her eyes were slightly glassy and he knew what thoughts were running through her head. "Olivia. You are not responsible for breaking up my marriage, so stop thinking like that."

You've told me that, but I wasn't sure if I believed you." She said. Elliot opened his mouth to say something and she held up her hand as she continued. "That's all I could think about on the drive home last night. And once I got home. I kept thinking that I had broken up your marriage…ruined your life…broken apart your family."

"Olivia. That's not true." Elliot said, reaching across the table and snagging her hand, holding it tightly. "That's not true."

Olivia swallowed hard. She pressed her lips together and flicked her eyes up to Elliot's. "When I was lying there waiting for you to come over, I thought about all of the things we talked about. About how we have to be honest with each other and trust each other. And I decided that I had to let it go…that I had to trust that you were being honest with me." She stood up and walked over to where he was sitting. "That I _really, really_ want this to work. And I'm not giving you up."

Elliot let out a deep breath and smiled up at her. He grabbed her hands and tugged on them, pulling her down onto his lap, forcing her to straddle his legs. He placed his hands on her hips and smiled up at her.

"Liv. You are not the reason my marriage broke up. I need you to believe that." He ran his hands up her arms.

"I do." She said. "I do believe you." She leaned down and gave him a kiss.

"Good." He said, trailing his fingers down her bare arms. "Thank you for telling me all of that. I know that was hard for you."

Olivia sighed. "I'm not sure where we left things. We got interrupted, so I'm not sure what she knows. Or what she's thinking. That's not the end of it." She said.

"I talked to her after you left. I didn't tell her we were together, but I did tell her that I loved you and that you loved me too." Elliot said. "I'm sure she can put two and two together."

Olivia sighed. "I guess it had to come out some time."

"It's going to be OK Liv." He said, leaning in and giving her a gentle kiss.

She smiled. "I know."

So…what do you want to do today?" he asked, moving his hands around her waist and under the back of her t-shirt, running his fingers along the skin there.

"And you say _I_ have a one track mind." Olivia said, laughing as she leaned in and kissed him.

"I wasn't doing anything." He said. "Now it's _you_ with the dirty mind."

Olivia reached down and grabbed the hem of her t-shirt, pulling it up and over her head, revealing a creamy, satin bra. "So you're telling me you're not interested?" She teased, tilting her head slightly and placing her mouth over his, pulling his bottom lip in between hers.

Elliot ran his hands up her sides, tickling her bare skin until he reached her satin clad breasts. He palmed both breasts, feeling the weight of them as they filled his hands. He squeezed gently and Olivia's legs tightened against his as she continued to straddle him. She ground her lower half gently into him and moaned against his mouth; the sound sending a shiver through his body. He opened his mouth and she gently probed his mouth with her tongue. His tongue tangled with hers and his hands left her breasts; one hand cupping the back of her head as he pulled her closer; the other grabbing her ass and pulling her tighter against his growing erection. He growled as she pressed herself into him and he felt her smile against his mouth.

He pulled back from the kiss. "You drive me crazy." He put his hands on her hips and pushed her into him again, thrusting his hips up. Olivia bit her bottom lip, stifling a moan as she looked at him through her lashes.

"I'm not doing anything." She said mischievously, grinding into him again. "But if I'm bothering you, I'll just start cleaning up our breakfast." She started to get up but Elliot held her in place.

"Like hell." He said. He held tight to her waist and stood up, holding her tight. She gasped in surprise, but wrapped her legs around him as he headed for the bedroom.

When they got to the bed, Elliot dropped her playfully on top and Olivia let out a small yelp, surprised that he had dropped her so unceremoniously. He crawled on top of her, caging her body with his. He dropped one knee between her legs, forcing her legs apart. He pushed his knee into her core, eliciting a small gasp from her as he pushed against her. He dropped his face down and captured her lips, devouring her mouth with his. She gasped again and he drove his tongue into her mouth. She reacted by pulling his head down to hers, deepening the kiss.

Elliot trailed kisses down her cheek and then down to her jawline until he reached her collarbone. He ran his tongue across her collarbone and her body erupted in goosebumps. He slid her bra strap off her shoulder and trailed his tongue down the swell of her breast, pulling her bra down until her nipple was revealed and he traced his tongue around her sensitive nub, finally taking it in his mouth. Olivia let out a long, low groan as he sucked and teased her with his tongue; she felt a rush of heat right down to her core, and could feel the slickness between her legs.

Elliot moved his hand up and slid her other bra strap down her shoulder. He realized her bra had a clasp in the front and he unclasped it, releasing both her breasts. He trailed his tongue across to her other breast, looking up at Olivia as he did. She had her head thrown back and her eyes closed, and when he took her in his mouth, she arched her back into him, moaning his name.

His cock twitched as she moaned his name, and he pushed his erection into her thigh and his knee into her core. Olivia arched her back again, and moaned as Elliot trailed his tongue down her stomach. He moved his hands to her hips and tugged at her leggings. He pulled them down slowly, his tongue following the path of her leggings. As he pulled them down, he groaned when he saw she wasn't wearing any underwear. He sat back to pull her leggings down all the way, and once he got them down to her knees, he stood up and pulled them all the way off. He looked back at her lying on the bed and took a deep breath.  
"Jesus Liv." He said as she opened her eyes and looked up at him. He shook his head, still not quite believing that Olivia Benson was lying naked in front of him. No matter how many times he made love to her, it was always going to surprise him a little. He grabbed his t-shirt and pulled it up and over his head, and rid himself of his jeans and boxers in one motion. He knelt down on the bed between Olivia's ankles and ran his hands up her smooth shins. He looked up at Olivia and saw she was propped up on her elbows, watching him and biting her lower lip. He eyes were hooded, her body flushed and her hair a mess. He thought he'd never seen anything so beautiful.

He ran his hands slowly up her thighs and Olivia's breath hitched as his hands moved to her inner thighs, anticipating what he was going to do.

"El." She rasped. "I want you."

"Patience." He said, smiling up at her. He crawled back up her body, gently grasping her elbow and lowering her back into the bed, kissing her deeply. He could feel the wetness between her legs, and he thrust his erection between her folds, coating himself with her juices. Olivia broke off the kiss with a grunt and he knew he'd hit her clit. He kept rubbing himself back and forth against her and she writhed beneath him.

"Fuck El!" she yelled, frustration and desire evident in her voice. She moved beneath him and tried to grab his ass, trying to move him down to her entrance.

Elliot kissed her ear. "Tell me what you want Liv." He whispered in her ear.

Olivia let out another sound of frustration, done with his incessant teasing.

"Say it." Elliot said, biting down lightly on her earlobe.

Olivia let out a moan as he drove her closer to the edge with his incessant movement between her legs.

"Fuck me El." She groaned.

Elliot moved back slightly, poised at her entrance. He opened his mouth and placed it over hers, devouring her mouth as he drove into her. She gasped into his mouth as pushed into her, filling her completely. She dug her heels into his ass, pushing against him and he paused for a moment until he felt her move beneath him. He pulled out and thrust back into her, feeling her walls clench around him.

"Jesus Liv. So tight…fuckingA" He gasped as he continued to thrust into her slowly. The sensations coursing through his body were mind blowing. Her walls were like a vise and every thrust was driving him closer to the edge.

"Faster El. Harder…" Olivia gasped out. She needed release and she needed it now.

Elliot pulled out and drove back into her, increasing the pace. Olivia was matching him, continuing to dig her heels into his ass. She reached up and grabbed the headboard, arching her body into Elliot's. She tried to spread her legs wider, allowing him to go a little deeper and she moaned as she hit her clit at this new angle.

"Fuck." She moaned. "OhGodOhGodohgod." She moaned and Elliot could feel her entire body start to shudder.

"Come for me Liv." Elliot moaned into her ear. He drove his hips into her twice more…hard…and felt her clench around him as she let out a string of unintelligible mix of his name and swear words. As she clenched hard and he felt her juices coat him, he came hard, his dick throbbing as her walls continued to convulse around him.

His arms gave out as his orgasm subsided and he collapsed on top of her, knocking the breath from her body.

"Shit." He gasped, trying to raise himself back up. He shifted his weight slightly to her side, not wanting to pull out of her.

"Get off." Olivia gasped, unable to catch her breath. Elliot lifted himself up slightly and pulled out, moving to her side.

"Sorry." He said, a sheepish look on his face.  
Olivia started laughing, which sounded strangled because she hadn't yet caught her breath. Elliot started laughing at the sound she was making and she slapped him playfully in the arm. She was regaining her breath when Elliot pulled her body into his. He kissed her gently and nuzzled his face into her hair. "God I love you." He said. "I don't know why we didn't do this sooner." He kissed her again. "But I'm happy we're making up for lost time."

_More to come! Leave a review!_


	43. Chapter 43

_Hi! Thanks for the reviews. Seems like people are happy to see Elliot and Olivia are getting along! So fun to write some smutty scenes between them…I'm not as good at it as some, but you get the idea. Now…on with the story. More drama? Please leave a review or comment at the end._

EOEOEOEO

Elliot and Olivia fell into a routine over the next six weeks. At the precinct, it was easy to fall back into normal Benson/Stabler mode. They spent as many hours at work as they normally did, but spent almost of their free time together as well. Elliot spent most nights at Olivia's. They never really talked about living together. It just kind of happened. Every once in a while, Olivia looked around and wondered how this life had snuck up on her…two toothbrushes by the sink…his clothes next to hers in the closet…his shoes by the front door. It made her smile when she thought about it, and there was a part of her that couldn't remember a time when he wasn't there.

The only exception to their time together had been the two weekends when he had his kids. Olivia hadn't seen Kathy since Kathleen's birthday party, and despite Elliot's objection, they hadn't told the kids. He didn't want to spend the weekends away from her, but she'd been insistent that he spend the time alone with his kids. She thought it was important that nothing changed with them and besides, Olivia had taken that opportunity to have some much needed alone time. After living alone for so long, she enjoyed a few hours to herself. When Elliot was at her place, they were _always_ together. It seemed he always needed to be near her…touching her even if it was in some small way. She could barely get enough alone time to take a bath. She smiled at that too…Elliot was certainly passionate and couldn't seem to get enough of her…and she was making the most of that too. But she did take time on those free weekends to get caught on some errands: get her hair cut, spend a few hours at the spa, catch up on personal paperwork and help Casey with some of the wedding plans. She and Casey had also done some shopping and she had found a dress for the upcoming bachelor/bachelorette party.

The party was coming up this weekend, and Olivia was surprised that Elliot hadn't brought it up. She knew he had been worried about it several weeks back, when the whole mess with Jack Spencer had started…but he hadn't brought it up at all recently.

It was Thursday night and they were curled up on the couch, watching the Mets game. Olivia was laying with her back against Elliot and he was resting his hand on her abdomen, absently stroking her skin under her t-shirt. She turned her head to look at him, and saw he was engrossed in the game. She shifted slightly and he looked down at her briefly, quickly looking back up at the game when someone hit a home run. Once the player rounded the bases, he looked back at her.

"What?" he asked.

"I was just wondering about this weekend." She asked.

"What about it?" he asked, his attention still focused on the game.

"Are you OK with the plans?" she asked. Casey had decided that she wanted to have dinner at one of the new, upscale restaurants in town with just the wedding party; there were only 10 of them. Then she'd rented a limo for them and they were going to drive around town and hit a few bars. They were going to end up at a dance club called Posh around midnight and then other friends, significant others, and husbands or wives, were invited to join them.

When Olivia had explained what Casey had planned, Elliot hadn't been very happy to learn that he wasn't invited and that he couldn't be with her for most of the night. And he was even more unhappy with the fact that when he could meet up with them, it would be at a club. Dance clubs weren't really Olivia's favorite, but she could handle it for a night. Elliot did NOT feel the same way. It was one of the last places he wanted to go.

"Elliot." Olivia said, trying to get his attention.

He leaned down and gave her a quick peck on the cheek before turning his attention back to the game. "Yeah." He said.

Olivia sighed. "I asked if you were OK with the plans for Saturday."

"Yeah. Whatever you want." He said.

"El. I'm pregnant with twins." Olivia said, knowing that he wasn't really paying attention to a word she was saying.

"OK. That sounds good." He said and Olivia snaked her arm up and playfully slapped him on the side of the head.

"What?!" he said, startled, looking back down at her.

"You're not even listening to me." She said.

"Yes I am." He said, holding her gaze as if to prove his point.

"Then what did I just say?" She stared at Elliot, one eyebrow raised. She knew he didn't have a clue, and she was wondering what story he was going to come up with. She rested her hand on his hip, thrumming her fingers there as she waited.

Elliot must have seen her watching him and he sighed. He gave her a smile. "OK. I wasn't listening."

Olivia laughed. "Couldn't come up with something plausible huh?"

Elliot reached down, tickling her side. Olivia hadn't been expecting it and she moved quickly to get away from him, falling off the couch in the process. Elliot heard a crack as her head hit the coffee table on the way down, and she face planted into the carpet.

"Liv!" Elliot yelped, jumping off the couch. He reached down and grabbed her around the waist and pulled her up. He saw blood on Olivia's forehead as he turned her towards him. "Jeez. God Liv." He reached down and scooped her up, laying her down on the couch. Olivia put her hand to the wound on her forehead and pulled her fingers away, seeing blood.

"Hold on." Said Elliot. He ran into the kitchen and she could hear him grabbing a towel and ice.

"It's fine El." Olivia moved to a sitting position on the couch, holding her hand to her head. A trickle of blood ran down the side of her face and dripped down on her shirt. Elliot came rushing back into the living room with a homemade ice pack. Olivia held out her hand and took the ice pack from Elliot. "I think I need a washcloth." She said and Elliot rushed to the bathroom to get one.

He came back with a wet washcloth and Olivia put it over the ice pack she had held to the cut on her forehead.

"God Liv." Elliot sat down facing her. "I'm so sorry."

"It was an accident." She said. "Don't worry about it."

"Let me see. Do you need stitches?" Elliot asked, reaching for the ice pack.

Olivia pushed his hand away. "It's fine." She stood up. "I'm just going to get a Band-Aid." She walked into the bathroom with Elliot trailing behind her. When she got to the bathroom, she pulled the washcloth and ice pack away from her forehead and leaned over to get a closer look in the mirror. It was still bleeding, but that was always the case with head wounds; they bled like crazy.

Elliot leaned over next to her. "I think you need stitches." He said.

Olivia rolled her eyes. "It's fine. Do me a favor and get a few Band-Aids out of the cabinet."

Elliot opened up the medicine cabinet and found some small square gauze pads and some medical tape. "Turn around."

Olivia turned and leaned against the bathroom counter. She removed the washcloth and ice pack from her forehead and Elliot pressed against the wound with a piece of gauze. "Ouch." Olivia said when he applied too much pressure.

"Sorry." He pulled back slightly, holding the gauze lightly against the wound. He handed the medical tape to Olivia and she ripped off a long piece. He placed a couple more squares of gauze over the cut and taped it down.

"Can't you just use a Band-Aid?" she asked, turning around to look at the makeshift bandage on her forehead.

"It's still bleeding quite a bit." Elliot said rinsing off the bloody washcloth in the sink.

Olivia leaned in again. "Jeez. This is just great. I'm going to go out on Saturday night with a big gash and a nice purple bruise on my forehead. That'll look great with my dress." She touched the discolored skin around the wound and winced.

"What's Saturday night?" asked Elliot.

Olivia dropped her hands down on the bathroom counter and looked at Elliot in the mirror. "You're joking, right?" She couldn't believe what she was hearing. He really hadn't been listening to her at all. She turned around and pushed past him. "Jeez El." She walked out of the bathroom, through her bedroom and back out into the living room.

"What?" Elliot said as he followed her into the kitchen.

Olivia grabbed a bottle of water out of the refrigerator and turned to Elliot. "That's what I was trying to talk to you about while you were watching the game."

"What?"

Olivia let out a groan of frustration and walked back into the living room. "Never mind." She said. She really wasn't that upset with him but she didn't feel like talking about Saturday night now.

Elliot walked back into the living room, a confused look on his face. "What did I miss Liv?" He sat down next to her. He leaned in and traced a finger around the bandage on her head. "I'm sorry."

She reached up and grabbed his hand. "That hurts." She put his hand on her lap. "This has been such a stupid conversation." She said. "I just wanted to know about Saturday night. If you were still going to meet up with us later." She looked at him expectantly, but still saw the confusion on his face. "Casey and Aaron's party…" she prompted.

"That _this_ weekend?" he asked.

Olivia didn't know if he was serious or if he was messing with her. She raised an eyebrow at him. "Looks like someone wants to sleep by himself tonight." She said, her expression neutral.

Elliot put up his hands. "All right. All right. I knew it was this weekend."

"So you were just ignoring me?" she asked.

Elliot shrugged. "I was watching the game." He laughed when he saw the mock anger on her face.

"You're going to pay for that Stabler." She said. She pushed herself up and launched herself over to his side of the couch, her hands raised as if she was going to attack him. He grabbed both of her hands and pulled her body into his, tugging her close. He tried to kiss her but she turned her head so his lips glanced off her cheek. She laughed as they struggled and she tried to free her hands from his grasp. "Let me go or you'll never have sex again." She joked and he let her go. Olivia wasn't expecting him to free her wrists and she started to tumble away from his body but he reached out and grabbed her, pulling her back to him again.

"Oh no. I'm not going to be responsible for two injuries tonight." He lifted his head up and kissed her on the nose. He ran his hands down her sides and down to her ass, pulling her body against his. "So I'm never going to have sex with you again?" He teased as his hands moved slowly from her ass down to her upper thighs, his fingers moving towards her center. Olivia unconsciously moved her legs apart a little and Elliot smiled. "Did you mean we won't have sex again, or we won't have sex on the couch again?"

EOEOEOEOEO

Elliot was up early on Saturday, so he made breakfast for Olivia. She came out of the bedroom in her pajama shorts and a tank top, her hair tousled from sleep and her eyes half open.

"Good morning Liv.' He said, handing her a mug of coffee. He leaned in and kissed her cheek. "Did you sleep well?"

She gave him a wicked smile. "What little sleep I got." She said, swatting him on the butt. "You know…I really have to start getting more sleep. Between you and work, I'm dangerously low on sleep. I'm too old for this." She said laughing.

Elliot pulled her close, his hands on her hips. He placed a kiss on her shoulder. "You're just so damn sexy…I can't help myself."

She pushed him away. "Don't make me send you back to your own apartment." She said, smiling.

"I don't seem to remember hearing you complaining." He wiggled his eyebrows. "Moaning. Groaning. Screaming. Swearing. But not complaining."

"You're horrible." Olivia said, swatting him on the butt again. She leaned in and gave him a quick kiss. She looked over at the stove. "Is that breakfast?"

Elliot dished up eggs and some fruit and carried both plates to the small table, while Olivia carried both coffee mugs. The sat down and ate in relative silence. When she was finished, Olivia sat back in her chair. Elliot looked over at her. The bandage on her forehead was gone and there was a small cut that was scabbed over. The skin around it was purple and it looked like it hurt.

"Does your head still hurt?"

Olivia shook her head. "Not really. But I'm going to have to do some magic with make-up tonight." She touched her hand to the cut. "Maybe I'll have my make-up done at the salon."

"The salon?" Elliot asked.

"Yeah. I told you that Casey and I are going to go get our hair cut and styled for the party tonight. Just for fun."

"I don't think you told me that." He said. He was surprised because Olivia wasn't normally one to spend a lot of time primping.

Olivia rolled her eyes. "I _did_ tell you."

Elliot chuckled. "We're starting to sound like an old married couple. And it only took a little over 6 weeks."

"Seven years and 6 weeks El." Olivia said, taking another sip of her coffee.

"So…about tonight…" Elliot started.

Olivia looked up. "What about it?" She wondered what he was going to say and she was surprised that he hadn't brought it up earlier.

"I'm not sure if I'm going to meet up with you later." Elliot said, and Olivia's mouth dropped open.

"What?" She furrowed her brow at him. "What did you say?"

"I said I'm not sure if I'm going to meet up with you later."

_Duh. Duh. Duh. Sorry to leave you here but I promise I'll get the next chapter up soon! Please, please leave a review or comment!_


	44. Chapter 44

I just love all of the comments and feedback! Thanks so much and keep it up! Here's the end of the last chapter…just in case you forgot where we were at!

_I'm not sure I'm going to meet up with you later." Elliot said, and Olivia's mouth dropped open._

"_What?" She furrowed her brow at him. "What did you say?"_

"_I said I'm not sure if I'm going to meet up with you later."_

EOEOEOEOEO

Olivia set her mug down hard, spilling a little over the sides. "Why not?"

Elliot shrugged his shoulders. "C'mon Liv. I'm going to meet you at midnight? At a club?" He leaned back in his chair. "You know that's not really my thing." He noticed her jaw tighten and he continued. "Besides, you don't need _me_ there to have fun."

Olivia narrowed her eyes. She wasn't quite sure what was going through his head right now. She was surprised he didn't want to come, especially since he knew that Jack would be there. She knew that the thought of her spending most of the evening without him…_and with Jack_…had to be on his mind. She would have thought there wouldn't be any way to talk him out of coming. And besides that, why wouldn't he want to come meet up with them and have a chance to have a night out with her? Or at least part of a night. It didn't make any sense. "What does that mean?" she asked.

He considered her for a minute. He had been thinking about this weekend…quite a bit. And he had decided that he wanted to show her know that he trusted her and that he felt secure in their relationship. She always accused him of being overprotective and overbearing, so he wanted to show her that he wasn't. He wanted her to go out and have fun without worrying about him. But he could tell from her tone that she wasn't interpreting his words how he intended. "It doesn't mean anything." He said. "I just want you to go out and have fun with your friends. I trust you."

Olivia furrowed her brow again. "You trust me? What the hell do you mean by that?" Olivia's voice raised a notch. "Is this some kind of test? You want to see what happens if I'm left to my own devices?" She stood up. "Do you think I want you to meet up with me at the end of the night to check up on me? To make sure I don't make some stupid mistake again?"

"What?!" he asked, leaning forward. "What the hell are you talking about? That's not what I said." He didn't know what he had said that made her think that. He didn't understand where this was coming from. He thought letting her know that he trusted her was a _good_ thing. _Was she trying to pick a fight? _He stood up and closed the gap between them."Olivia. What the hell? Where did that come from?"

Olivia shook her head. She honestly didn't know where that had come from. She was nervous about the evening; she didn't completely trust Jack. And while she was going to make sure nothing happened, there was still a part of her that was nervous around him. She wanted Elliot there with her, but she knew that wasn't an option. So she had at least been reassured by the fact that he would be meeting up with her at the end of the night. She'd bought her dress with him in mind. She wanted to dance with him…to show him off to everyone. She wanted him to take her home at the end of the night and ravage her. So when he said he wasn't even going to show up…what the hell? Apparently meeting up with her wasn't worth the effort.

"I don't understand why you don't want to meet me. I was excited about meeting up with you later…but it sounds like it's not even worth your time." She said, pushing past him.

Elliot snagged her arm. "Olivia. Stop." She stopped and turned towards him. "That's not what I…" He dropped his hand from her arm and scrubbed his hands over his face. "I was just trying to do the right thing here. I didn't want you to think I wanted to show up just to check up on you." He looked at Olivia's expression to see if she was comprehending what he was trying to tell her. "You always accuse me of being jealous and overprotective and I thought by just letting you go out with your friends that you'd see that I'm not. That I don't always need to hover over you."

Olivia's expression softened. "But don't you know that I _want_ you to be there? I wish you could be there with me for the entire night. I'm not looking forward to just being with this small group all night…I'd rather be with you."

Elliot put his hands on her upper arms, rubbing his thumbs back and forth. "I'm sorry, but why didn't you just tell me that? What was all that other shit about? I would _never_ think you're going to go home with someone else. I just thought you could go out and I'd be waiting here for you when you got home." He paused for a moment. "We're fighting about nothing…"

Olivia bit her bottom lip. "I guess I was just thinking about the evening…about Jack being there. And I thought you'd be upset about that. About not being there with us all evening and something happening."

"If I was worried about that, then don't you think I would make sure that I showed up? That's what I was trying to tell you…that I don't need to show up because I know nothing's going to happen. I didn't think about the fact that you'd _want_ me to be there. I figured by that time of night, things are winding down." He slid his hands down to hers. "And…I don't really like clubs."

"I'm sorry El." Olivia whispered. "I don't know why I reacted the way I did. I guess I was just really surprised when you said you weren't going to show up. I bought a dress with you in mind. I was excited about going out and doing something fun with you. We've pretty much just been hanging around our apartments." She really was sorry. She must be more nervous about tonight than she realized. And she really had been looking forward to a night out on the town.

Elliot leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. "It's OK. You just took me by surprise. I didn't expect that kind of reaction. I thought maybe it was getting to be that time of the month…"

"I can't believe you just said that." Olivia said, smiling at him. "Are you insinuating that I get a little difficult?"

Elliot shook his head and raised up his hands. "No…not me."

She moved closer to Elliot and trailed her fingers down his cheek.

"Just for that, I'm not going to let you see the new lingerie I bought to wear underneath my new dress."

Elliot grabbed her hand. "You owe me Benson. For going off on me like that."

Olivia's eyes moved back and forth between his. "I'm sorry El. I really am."

Elliot leaned down and kissed her. "So tell me about this dress. And the lingerie."

"No. You'll just have to wait and see."

So I guess you want me to meet you at the club?"

Olivia smiled seductively. "I'll make it worth your while."

EOEOEOEOEO

Olivia and Elliot had spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon running errands, grabbing some groceries at the market and picking up dry cleaning. They'd grabbed lunch at a small neighborhood diner and got home about 2. They were unpacking the groceries when Olivia noticed the time.

"I need to jump in the shower." She said. "I'm meeting Casey at the salon at 4 to get our hair and nails done, and then I'm going over to her apartment to get ready. The limo is picking us up at 7. Do you mind finishing up?"

Elliot slapped her playfully on the ass. "I guess you're not going to invite me to join you?"

Olivia gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Sorry El." She walked off towards the bedroom, swaying her hips.

"Knock it off Benson." Elliot called out after her, shaking his head.

EOEOEOEOEO

Elliot finished unpacking the groceries and cleaning up the kitchen. He was thinking about what he was going to do for the rest of the day…and for the better part of the evening. He didn't even know if he could stay awake until midnight. Who goes out then?

He had heard the shower stop about 15 minutes ago, and headed into the bedroom to hand up the clean laundry from the cleaners. When he walked into the bedroom, he saw Olivia in a silky robe with her leg propped up on the edge of the bed. The robe had fallen back, revealing her long leg, and she was rubbing lotion up and down her calf.

"I could help you with that." He said as she turned to look at him.

She dropped her leg from the bed and smiled. "I think I can handle it."

Elliot hung the clean laundry in the closet and walked back over to her, standing behind her and placing his hands on her waist. He pulled her close to him and whispered into her ear.

"Just trying to be helpful." He whispered in her ear and Olivia shuddered involuntarily.

Olivia twisted her body and pulled away. "If you help me, I'll never get out of here."

He grabbed her arm and pulled her back, crashing his lips against hers. "I can work fast."

Olivia pushed back against his chest. "I swear El. You have the libido of an 18 year old. Save it for tonight!" She kissed him again and pulled away, walking back towards the bathroom. When she reached the bathroom door, she turned back towards him, noting the disappointed look on his face. She dropped her voice and gave him a sly smile. "Don't worry. I've got _plans_ for you tonight."

EOEOEOEO

Olivia rushed into the salon a little before 4, dragging her dress and her overnight bag. She saw Casey was already waiting for her.

"I guess I didn't think this through." She said. "I should have met you at your place and dropped all of this off."

The woman at the salon took her dress and hung it up and told Olivia she could take her bag as well.

"They're ready for us." Said Casey and they walked back into the manicure area. As they were getting their nails done, Olivia took the opportunity to get caught up with Casey.

"So remind me who's coming tonight."

"You know who's coming." Said Casey.

"Yes. But I mean later. Who is meeting up with us at the club?"

"Oh. Well both of Aaron's brothers are married, so their wives will be coming. And then my brother's girlfriend will be coming. I don't know if Jack's bringing anyone." She rolled her eyes when she said it. "I doubt it. He'll just pick somebody up at the bar." She thought for a minute. "Then Aaron's sister Kristi is engaged, so her fiancé will show up. And my friends Jenny and Sarah aren't dating anyone, so I'm not sure if they invited anyone or not. I doubt it. And then it's you. So don't worry…you won't be the only one that doesn't have a significant other showing up."

"Maybe I invited someone." Olivia said, not looking at Casey. Casey hadn't really asked her much about Elliot since she'd walked in on them. Which was surprising and _so_ unlike Casey. Maybe she'd just been too wrapped up in the wedding plans.

"It wouldn't happen to be one hunk of a detective that I know? One with piercing blue eyes and one hell of an ass?"

"Casey!" said Olivia, laughing. She loved how blunt her friend could be.

"Well, you've been sleeping with him for weeks and I haven't heard boo about it. You're supposed to give me all the details and I haven't heard anything. What kind of friend _does_ that?" Casey said, pretending to pout.

"You haven't asked." Olivia said, laughing with her friend. "Which I can't believe." She added.

"I've hardly seen you. Apparently you're spending all of your free time in bed with Stabler." She joked. "The last time we went shopping Kristi was along and I didn't want to get into it. And every other time I see you, there's someone else around. I swear, last week I was going to drag you into an interrogation room just to get some details."

"Casey. I'm not going to tell you the details of my sex life with Elliot." Olivia rolled her eyes. "Do you want to tell me the details of your sex life with Aaron?"

"Sure." Said Casey, shrugging her shoulders. "I don't have any secrets."

Olivia laughed, because she knew that Casey probably would share the details with her. "Ew. I don't want to know." She said, laughing again.

"Well, I do." Said Casey.

Olivia nodded. "No Case. Sorry."

"Just give me some highlights." She said, leaning towards Olivia. "I always imagined he would be big. With that ego of his…"

Olivia blushed slightly. "Casey…"

"Oh my God. I knew it." Casey exclaimed. "Is it the best sex you've ever had?"

"Casey. Knock it off. I'm not discussing this." Olivia said.

"I'm not above blackmail." Casey said. "Give me some details or I'll tell Elliot that you told me _everything_." She said, grinning back at Olivia.

Olivia sighed. "You're horrible." But she knew Casey wasn't bluffing. Hell, she'd probably make up stuff and tell Elliot. "OK. I'll tell you a couple of things." She sighed, sorting through the sexual escapades of the last 7 weeks, trying to decide what she was willing to share with Casey. "_But you have to swear you're not going to say anything to anyone._"

"Swear." Said Casey, grinning from ear to ear. Elliot and Olivia had been dancing around their attraction to each other for years, and she was happy that they had finally gotten their shit together and acted on it.

Olivia looked at her skeptically. Casey usually kept her mouth shut, but she wasn't going to take any chances. She was going to keep it PG.

"Well, first of all, he has the libido of an 18 year old. I swear. He wants to have sex _all the time_." Olivia smiled, thinking about his offer to "help her" this afternoon before she left.

"That doesn't surprise me. You're complaining about that?" Casey asked, a grin on her face.

"I didn't say I was complaining. It's just been…interesting. I've never had many long term relationships, so I've never had this much sex in such a short period of time. I don't get _any_ sleep." She chuckled.

"What else?" Casey asked. "Mind blowing orgasms I bet."

"Casey!" Olivia blushed again.

"So that means yes." Casey laughed again. She saw Olivia looking at her with a surprised expression on her face. "Well, if you're not going to provide any details, I have to guess."

Olivia sighed. "OK. Well, that pretty much covers it."

"Seriously? That's all you're going to tell me?" Casey asked.

"What else do you need to know? You've pretty much covered it all."

"Just wait Benson. I'm going to ask you again later tonight after you've had a few drinks. Then you'll tell me." Casey said. "I'll get the unabridged version."

"I doubt it. But you can try." Olivia said laughing. She made a mental note to herself to keep her mouth shut.

EOEOEOEOEO

They finished up at the salon and headed out to Casey's apartment. When they got into the cab, Olivia checked her messages and saw she had a couple of text messages from Elliot.

The first one simply said "Hey beautiful. Missing you." Olivia smiled.

The second one had come in just a few minutes ago. "Thinking about what u said. New dress and new lingerie. Can't get it out of my mind now. Send me a photo?"

Olivia laughed and hit REPLY. "No. You have to wait." She hit SEND and laughed again.

Casey looked over at her. "Sending naughty messages Detective?" she asked.

"Casey. You have a one track mind. Hard to believe you work in sex crimes." Olivia said laughing. She settled into her seat, thinking about the night ahead.

_Thanks for reading! Please leave a review!_


	45. Chapter 45

_Hey readers! Here's another update. I was going to cover the entire night, but there's a lot more that's going to happen, and I decided it needs to be another chapter. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Please leave a review. I love to hear from you!_

EOEOEOEOEO

Olivia and Casey arrived at Casey's appointment after their appointment at the salon. She put her dress and overnight bag in Casey's extra bedroom and wandered back out to the kitchen. They had over an hour before the limo arrived, and since they'd had their nails, hair and make-up done at the salon, it wasn't going to take long to get ready.

When she got to the kitchen, she saw Casey was opening a bottle of wine.

"I think we should get a head start" she said as she popped the cork.

"We have a long night ahead of us. Do you think that's a good idea?" Olivia asked, smiling at Casey.

"For God's sake Liv. Live a little tonight. You never let loose and have fun." She poured a glass of wine and handed it to Olivia. "That's an order."

Olivia laughed. "I don't think I take orders from you." She said, taking a sip of her wine.

"You do tonight. As my maid of honor, you're obligated to do what I ask." Casey poured herself a glass and then held it up, tipping it towards Olivia. "And tonight, I ask that you let your wild side out. I know you have one. Drink too much and engage in bad behavior. We're off duty tonight."

Olivia laughed. "I can't think of the last time I was drunk."

"Exactly." Casey clinked her glass against Olivia's. "Get drunk, get wild, and when that sexy man of yours shows up, you can take him home and do naughty things…"

"You're insane." Olivia said, laughing. "Besides…I haven't been wild since college _and_ …I don't need to be drunk to do naughty things." She couldn't believe she'd just said that out loud…but Casey's bluntness had made her a little bold.

"I knew you were holding out on me Benson." She winked at Olivia. "We're going to have fun tonight." She downed her glass of wine and poured herself some more. "We'd better get ready."

She took her glass with her and headed towards her bedroom. Olivia set her glass down on the counter and turned towards the bedroom. She was going to pace herself. She stopped, turned back and picked up her glass. _Fuck it._ Maybe she'd listen to Casey and let her hair down a little tonight. She smiled to herself as she headed to the bedroom to get changed.

EOEOEOEOEO

Olivia looked in the mirror and checked her hair and make-up. She had decided to leave her hair down, but the stylist had put some loose waves in it, and she decided she liked it. It still reached her shoulders, but the loose waves looked a little sexier than her everyday hairstyle. She leaned in towards the mirror, inspecting her make-up. The make-up artist hadn't really done much differently except to darken her eyes. She lined her eyes with a thicker line of eyeliner and applied more mascara, making her already dark eyes appear much darker. The woman had painted her lips with red lipstick, and although most of it was worn off now, she'd given her the tube to take with her. Olivia wasn't certain she liked it, but Casey had overridden her objections, assuring Olivia she could pull it off. Olivia had also lost the argument over nail polish. She loved getting a manicure, but usually painted her nails with something fairly neutral, or opted for a French manicure. The red polish looked so flashy to her. But Casey had assured her that the red lipstick and red polish would be perfect with her dress, and wasn't letting Olivia argue with her.

Olivia slipped out of her jeans and shirt and dug in her bag for her new underwear. She pulled out a pair of barely there sheer red underwear and a matching bra. The material was so sheer, she wondered why she was bothering. But she was hoping that a certain man in her life would like it…and that was all that mattered.

She quickly changed and then pulled her dress out of the garment bag. Casey had tried to talk her into wearing color. In fact, Casey had picked a beautiful red dress and had her try it on. And while Olivia liked it, she had fallen in love with the black dress she was holding in her hands now. It fit her perfectly, and was actually comfortable. She felt like the style of dress showed off her figure, and even though she normally hated that…well, tonight was different. It was going to be the first time she and Elliot really went out and she wanted to wow him.

She pulled the dress on, zipped up the side zipper and stood back to look in the mirror. Casey chose that moment to knock on her door.

"Can I come in?"

Casey walked in and Olivia gasped lightly. "Casey, you look amazing!" she said, a big grin on her face. Casey had chosen in emerald green dress, and even though it looked great in the store, it looked even more amazing with her hair and make-up done.

Casey smiled, hearing the sincerity in her friend's voice. "Thanks Liv."

Olivia turned towards Casey. "Did this dress show as much skin when I tried it on in the store? I don't think it did."

Casey shook her head. "You look great Liv. I wish I had your curves. Guys are going to be fighting for your attention tonight."

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Right." The truth was, she didn't usually enjoy attracting a lot of attention, especially of the male variety. All the things her mother had drilled in her head over the years…

"Jeez Liv. Sometimes I think you're really clueless. Guys are always checking you out. And in that dress…oh man." Casey said, pushing Olivia out of the way and looking at her reflection in the full length mirror. She saw Olivia's expression. "What? This is the only full length mirror I have." She turned to the left and to the right. "Damn. I do look good."

Olivia laughed and hugged her friend. "I was right before. You're crazy."

Casey hugged her back and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I'm so glad you're my maid of honor. It's been fun getting to spend more time together."

Olivia smiled and stepped back. "It has been fun. I've never done so much _girly_ stuff in my life."

Casey laughed and shook her head. "Finish up and let's get this party started. The limo should be here any minute."

EOEOEOEOEO

Olivia and Casey walked out of the front of Casey's building and saw the limo parked there already. The limo driver opened the door and Aaron stepped out, holding a single red rose. He quickly stepped up and handed it to Casey, giving her a quick kiss. "You look so beautiful Casey." He said, holding her hand and stepping back to take her in. She smiled and thanked him.

Aaron looked over at Olivia. "You look beautiful too." He said, and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. He stood back, motioning towards the limo. "Ladies first."

Olivia climbed into the limo and was surprised to see that Jack was already inside. Her smile faltered when she saw him and she sat down self-consciously, pulling her skirt down as she slid over in the seat. She hadn't seen him or spoken to him since she'd told him to fuck off. _What were you supposed to say after that?_ But she didn't want to make a scene on Casey and Aaron's special night.

She gave him a half smile and nodded at him. Jack simply smiled back at her, and then turned to Casey as she climbed into the limo. He complimented her outfit and her hair, and then handed a glass of champagne to her and Aaron. He raised an eyebrow at her, and she nodded. He filled another glass and handed it to her and the limo took off to pick up the rest of the wedding party.

EOEOEOEO

The noise in the limo escalated as they picked up the rest of the wedding party, and Olivia was re-introduced to people she met maybe once or twice before. Jack didn't say two words to her, and as the limo filled in, people sat between them and they ended up quite a ways apart. Olivia was happy that she wasn't forced into conversation with him. She was starting to relax and had two glasses of champagne by the time they reached the restaurant close to 8:30. When she stood up outside the limo, she could feel the effects of the wine and the champagne, and made a mental note to slow down until she had something to eat. One of Aaron's brothers (she honestly couldn't tell you which one because they looked so much alike), reached out to steady her and she smiled in appreciation. _Yep, definitely need to slow down._

When they got into the restaurant, they were shown into a private room. There was a large oval table in the room, and the lights were dimmed. The room was decorated beautifully; there were fragrant bouquets of flowers and several lit candles situated around the room.

"Oh Casey. This is beautiful…" Olivia gasped.

Casey smiled. "I know. It's amazing, isn't it?"

Olivia looked back at her friend. She could tell she was a little tipsy; but she had drank most of a bottle of wine back at her apartment.

Casey grabbed her arm. "You sit next to me." She said, as she sat down next to Aaron. Olivia was glad to see that Jack was sitting on the other side of Aaron as everyone else took their seats around the table. She was somewhat surprised that jack hadn't said a single word to her all night; but she was actually really happy that she didn't have to deal with him at all. She was really enjoying herself.

EOEOEOEOEO

Elliot decided that he was going to see if Maureen or Kathleen were free to have dinner. He'd texted both of them, but hadn't heard back. He realized it was a Saturday night, so he shouldn't be surprised if he didn't hear from them.

He picked up his phone and checked the time. It was almost 7:30. He thought back to what Olivia had said about the evening and thought she must be in the limo. He opened up his messaging and was about to send her a text, but closed his phone. He didn't want to bother her…he was going to let her be until he met up with her later. He sighed, assuming he wasn't going to hear from the girls. He decided to run out and get something to eat. He needed to kill some time or else he'd fall asleep on the couch before 10.

EOEOEOEO

The wedding party was having a great time. Aaron had ordered several bottles of wine and everyone was laughing and talking and the group was getting loud. Olivia was sitting next to Aaron's brother Isaac and he turned out to be a really nice guy. She found out that Isaac and Luke looked so much alike because they were twins and they had a good laugh over that. And now they were both getting married within weeks of each other.

Casey clanged her fork on her wine glass. "Listen up everyone. We're going to leave in about ten minutes." She said. "So finish up your drinks!"

Everyone finished up and they headed for the limo. They drove for about 30 minutes before the limo dropped them off at a small club. They got some wolf whistles as they walked in, and while Olivia rolled her eyes, Casey and her friends Sarah and Jenny, swayed their hips a little more.

"C'mon Liv. Don't be a fun sucker." Casey grabbed her hand and hauled her up to the bar. "We need some shots." She told the bartender.

"No Casey. I don't want a shot." Olivia started to say, but Casey put two fingers up to her mouth.

"What did I tell you?' she said, laughing. She looked at her friends. "I told Liv she needs to loosen up tonight. You guys have to help me." She looked back at Olivia. "You're having a shot!"

Olivia just laughed. "OK Case. I get it." She grabbed a shot as the bartender set them down, and downed it before anyone else. "Happy?"

Casey let out a scream. "Happy!" She grabbed her shot along with the rest of the girls, and they drank them quickly before slamming their shot glasses down on the bar.

"Let's have some fun." Casey grabbed Olivia's hand and started to drag her towards the dance floor.

"Ah Casey. I don't think I'm drunk enough for dancing." Said Olivia, watching the crowd gyrating on the dance floor.

Isaac grabbed her hand. "Come on Olivia. I'll dance with you." He said, as he pulled her towards the dance floor. Casey hooted and she and Sarah, Jenny and Kristi followed along with the other guys trailing behind them. They found a spot on the dance floor and before she knew it, Isaac's hands were on her hips and they were moving to the music.

It has been a long time since Olivia had gone dancing, especially dancing like this. She was nervous at first, but she quickly become less self-conscious as they started moving to the music. Everyone around her just seemed to be going with the flow and she relaxed and started to get into it. It also helped that Isaac was a good dancer.

They danced for a while until Casey determined they needed another shot. Everyone in the wedding party took another shot, and Olivia could really feel the impact. Normally, even if she did drink a little more than she should, she stuck with beer. She knew her limitations then. But the wine and the champagne…and now shots, were really throwing her off. She felt buzzed and really relaxed…and she was having a lot better time than she had thought she would.

She was standing at the bar with Casey when Aaron came up behind them, wrapping an arm around each of their waists. "Time to go." He said. "The limos waiting."

"Where are we going now?"

"Not sure. I just know that it's time to go."

They all trailed out of the club and lined up to get into the limo. Olivia didn't notice that Jack was standing next to her until she heard him talk.

"You really look stunning tonight." He said, leaning in and invading her personal space.

Olivia was somewhat shocked that he'd said anything to her. It seemed as if he'd been avoiding her all night, and she wondered if Casey and Aaron had said something to him. Or if their last "conversation" had made him realize she wanted nothing to do with him. Whatever it was, she was happy that she had successfully avoided any contact with him tonight. She looked over at him…and realized he hadn't really said anything offensive. "Thank you."

"That dress…every guy in the bar wants to fuck you."

_And there it was_. Jack fucking Spencer. Olivia just shook her head…but quickly realized that made her dizzy and she stumbled a bit on her heels as she stepped towards the limo. Jack reached out and grabbed her arm.

"Whoa. Are you OK?"

Olivia pulled her arm from his. "I'm fine. I don't need your help."

"Just trying to help. I don't want you to get drunk and accidentally fuck someone." He stepped back towards the rest of the crowd as Olivia's mouth dropped open. She was dumbstruck at his reference to their incident at Casey's engagement party. She wanted to think of something to say but at that moment, Kristi pushed her towards the limo.

"You're holding up the line." She said, and Olivia climbed into the limo. Everyone else piled in and Jack was the last one in. He didn't look at her and Olivia sighed, deciding to let it go. She was having a good time, and wasn't going to let one stupid comment ruin her night. He'd certainly said worse to her…and she knew he was upset with her after their last incident. Maybe he'd gotten it out of his system.

Someone pulled out a bottle of tequila and Olivia heard Casey yell "Shots!" The next thing she knew, she was taking a swig right from the bottle and passing it along. She fell back against the seat…she could really feel the impact now. She was definitely going to have to slow down if she was going to make it through the rest of the night. She wanted to make sure she was sober enough for late night activities with Elliot.

_Please leave a review!_


	46. Chapter 46

OK, here we go! Thanks for the reviews. I hope you like this next chapter.

EOEOEOEO

Olivia slid out of the limo and stood up, swaying slightly. The tequila shots in the limo had not helped. She looked and saw they were at Posh and she grabbed Casey's arm.

"I thought we weren't coming here until later."

Casey giggled. "It is later."

Aaron was holding on to Casey's arm, and Olivia could tell that Casey was even more drunk than she was. He leaned past Casey. "We're about an hour earlier than planned but we don't have time to go anywhere else. It's OK. Everyone else that's meeting up with us will be here soon." He winked at Olivia, and she gave him a small smile. Casey must have told him about her and Elliot.

She started to walk towards the club when she felt a hand on her arm. She turned, ready to deck Jack, when she saw it was Isaac. "Are you OK?" he asked. "I saw you drinking some of that tequila. That stuff will knock you out."

Olivia smiled. She must have been swaying more than she thought. She and Isaac had really hit it off and it was nice of him to be concerned about her. "I'm fine, but thanks." She put her hand over his. "But I'm not having anything more to drink here."

Isaac laughed. "Famous last words." He held on to her arm as they walked into the club, and Olivia caught sight of Jack watching her as they walked by. She didn't even acknowledge him and walked into the club.

When they got inside, Olivia's jaw dropped. She didn't know what she had been expecting, but it hadn't been this. The place was very large, and there was a big dance floor in the center. There was a DJ that was one level up, overlooking the dance floor, with lots of colored and strobe lights dancing around the room. The music was deafening and there was a solid mass of people moving on the dance floor.

There were tons of stand up tables surrounding the dance floor and the place was really crowded. There was another level that was just a few steps up that went around the perimeter, with couches and what looked like beds with drapes.

There were people everywhere, and everyone was dressed to kill. She faltered a little and Isaac steadied her again; his hand never leaving her arm.

Isaac pointed to some tables to the left hand side of the dance floor and Olivia's gaze followed in the direction his hand was pointing. She saw Aaron waving everyone over.

"We must have reserved tables." Isaac said, since the place was packed. They walked over with the rest of the group and Olivia found a spot next to Casey. She dropped her small clutch on the table and leaned against it, trying to keep herself upright. That tequila really had her buzzed.

Casey leaned over to her friend. "Isn't this place awesome?" she yelled, trying to be heard over the music.

Olivia shrugged. "I guess. It's full of young, beautiful people. I feel too old to be here!" she said.

"Knock it off Liv. We're young and beautiful." She joked. "At least for tonight." Olivia laughed.

The waitress came over and started taking drink orders. When she got to Olivia, she quickly declined. "Can I just have some water?" she said.

Casey tugged on Olivia's arm and Olivia thought she was going to complain that she wasn't drinking. "Come on. We're going out to dance."

Olivia could see that Aaron had his arm around Casey's waist, and she didn't want to be a third wheel. "You go. I'm going to wait a few minutes." She said, pushing Casey towards Aaron. They both took off and headed to the dance floor. Olivia could see that Casey's friends Sarah and Jenny were already out on the dance floor dancing with two guys she didn't know. The rest of the group was situated loosely around the table, and Olivia didn't see Jack anywhere.

She opened up her purse and pulled out her phone. She saw that it was dead. _Damn it_. She must have forgotten to charge it last night. That happened a lot lately; her normal routine interrupted by Elliot. She smiled at the thought.

"What are you smiling about?" she heard to her right and she saw Jack standing next to her.

Olivia sighed and looked over at the rest of the group. They were engrossed in conversation and weren't paying any attention to her and Jack.

"None of your business." She said, her tone laced with anger. She looked away from him and watched the people on the dance floor.

"Looks like you're getting pretty cozy with Isaac." He said. When she ignored him, he continued. "Is that how you operate? Don't want to sleep with the same guy twice. You have to find a new victim? Someone else to tease and taunt?"

Against her better judgment, Olivia turned to face him. "Victim? You're calling yourself a victim? Of what?" She knew she shouldn't even engage in conversation with him but she was drunk and she was pissed off and she couldn't help herself.

"Yeah. It took you all of 60 seconds to drop your panties and fuck me on the patio, and then you won't give me the time of day. Then you come in here dressed like…" he motioned to Olivia's dress. "that. Throwing it in my face. You're a cock tease."

"I'm what?" Olivia sputtered, shaking her head. She had been called a lot of things over the course of her life and her career, but that was not one of them. "I don't think you understand the definition. That would imply that at some point, I was pretending I was interested in you. But I think I clearly told you to _fuck off_." She pushed his chest with her hands, and almost toppled backwards. "So you don't know what you're talking about."

Jack narrowed his eyes at her. "You seemed interested in me at Casey's party. And now you think you're too good for me." He slapped his hand on the table, startling her. "You know what? I did get it wrong. You're not a cock tease. You're a bitch."

Olivia raised her hand and slapped him hard across the face, almost falling backward from the recoil. "You…you…" She didn't even know what to say to him anymore. She decided she'd said it all with the slap, and she turned away from him, heading away from the table. She was going to find the ladies room and get away from him for a few minutes before she completely lost it.

As she walked by the table, Isaac snagged her arm. Olivia hadn't been expecting it and fell against him slightly. He put his arm around her waist to catch her. "Are you OK?" he said as he caught her.

Olivia straightened up. "I'm fine."

"Do you want to tell me what that's about?" he asked, holding her in place but motioning towards Jack. "What the hell happened?"

Olivia looked over at Jack, who was still staring at her. She didn't want to tell _anyone_ what that was about. "No. It's nothing. He's just an ass."

Isaac removed his arm from her waist. "Do I need to talk to him? Did he say something or do something to you?

Olivia shook her head. "No. It's fine. I handled it."

Isaac smiled. "OK. You are a cop, so I guess you know how to handle assholes." That comment got a smile from Olivia. "Where are you going in such a rush?"

"I'm just going to the ladies room. Do you happen to know where it is?"

Isaac pointed her in the right direction. "Thanks. If I'm not back in 15 minutes, call in reinforcements." She joked as she headed across the club to the restrooms located on the other side of the dance floor.

Isaac looked back at Jack, who was standing at the table. He was messing with his phone and didn't appear to be paying any more attention to Olivia, so Isaac turned back to his conversation with Luke and Kristi.

EOEOEOEOEO

Elliot was just getting dressed when he heard his phone buzz. He picked it up, expecting a message from Olivia. He was surprised to see it was from Casey.

"_Olivias phone is dead. She asked me to text you and tell you that you shouldn't bother coming. You'll be bored. She'll see you later."_

Elliot frowned. He was surprised at the message. After their discussion earlier, he didn't expect it. He hit REPLY. "_What?_ _Have her call me_" he texted back.

He got a reply a few seconds later. "_She's out dancing. Can't call_."

Elliot furrowed his brow. _What the hell was going on_? He hit REPLY but then hung up the phone. He didn't know what was going on, but sending more messages back and forth wasn't going to help. If Olivia thought he wasn't going to show up, she was crazy. He was going to go to the club and find her, and find out why she suddenly didn't want him there. He grabbed his keys and headed for the door.

EOEOEOEOEO

Olivia fought for a spot in front of the mirror in the ladies room. The room was jammed. She knew Elliot would be coming pretty soon and she wanted to freshen up. She fixed her hair as best she could, and reapplied her lipstick. The red color still threw her; it looked shocking against her complexion but everyone seemed to disagree, so she left it. She stood back to take a look and smiled. She was excited to see Elliot and hoped he would get there soon.

She stepped out of the ladies' room and was surprised when she felt a hand on her arm, jerking her towards the wall. Two hands pushed her roughly against the wall and she felt a mouth on hers, crushing it with his. He drove his tongue into her mouth and she couldn't breathe with the pressure of his body holding her against the wall. She felt hands on her waist, one hand sliding up her body and over her breast, grasping and squeezing. The other hand smoothed up her outer thigh, dragging the dress with it; then slid towards her inner thigh. She struggled against the assault on her body, trying to push him off her with her hands. He was relentless against her mouth and she couldn't breathe. Then suddenly, he pulled back. She sagged slightly against the wall and looked up, seeing Jack with a smug smile on his face, her lipstick smeared on his mouth. "I just wanted to say good night. I'm out of here." Before Olivia could even register what was happening, he was gone.

She bent over at the waist, trying to catch her breath and keep from crying. He had caught her so off guard; and it had happened so quickly. She stood up and went back in the bathroom, leaning against the counter. She put her hands to her face, now flushed, trying to calm herself down. She took a few deep breaths and tried to process what had just happened.

She was hoping that he had really left. She was assuming he had because there was no way she was going to let him get away with that. And he _had_ to know that. She swallowed hard. She wasn't going to tell Casey tonight, but she was definitely going to tell her tomorrow. She didn't want to upset her, but it had come to the point where either Jack was out of the wedding, or she was.

She took another deep breath, adjusted her dress and reapplied her lipstick. She peered out the bathroom door before she walked out in the small hallway, and didn't see anyone she knew. She made her way back to the table, and saw only Kristi there. She was with a man she didn't know and Olivia assumed it was her fiancé. Kristi introduced them and they started chatting. The waitress had delivered a few more bottles of wine, so Olivia poured herself a glass and take a long drink. She needed Elliot to arrive _soon_.

She was on her second glass of wine when a small group came off the dance floor. Olivia felt someone's arm land at her waist and she jumped slightly. She turned her head, seeing it was Isaac. She was so relieved it wasn't Jack. She gave him a big smile and laughed.

"I was just going to send out reinforcements like you said. You've been gone a while." He joked. "Everything OK?"

Olivia smiled and turned towards him. "I'm fine. I appreciate you taking care of me tonight. I'm not typically this much of a mess!" she said.

Isaac moved his hand from her waist and reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "You're not a mess. You look beautiful." He said. "Your boyfriend is one lucky man."

Olivia smiled, blushing slightly. "Thanks. Hopefully he'll get here soon."

"I hope so. And I hope my fiancé Kate gets here soon too. I want you to meet her. I think you two will really hit it off."

EOEOEOEO

Elliot made it to Posh in record time, having instructed the taxi driver to make it quick. When he got there, he walked in and scanned the room. It didn't take long for him to spot her, and the sight of her took his breath away. She was facing him, but he was far enough away that she hadn't seen him. He had a full view of her as she stood and spoke to another couple. Elliot swallowed hard. She was wearing an incredibly sexy black dress. It had thin straps over her shoulder, that then thickened as they moved down the swell of her breasts, joining together to form a low V at the base of her breasts. The material covered her, but seemed dangerously close to warrant concern about a wardrobe slip. The dress hugged the curves of her waist and her hips, and stopped midway down her thighs. Elliot didn't think he had ever seen Olivia show that much skin and he was surprised at her choice. He continued to trail his eyes down her body, noticing how the short hemline and the spiky heels made her long legs look impossibly longer. His gaze roved back up her body to her face, where he could see her dark eyes in stark contrast to her red lips. Her hair was loose and fell in waves and he almost couldn't believe this was Olivia. She was a beautiful woman; with or without make-up, dressed up or in sweats. But this…she was sex on heels in this dress.

He hesitated a moment longer, watching her. He wondered how many men had hit on her tonight. His thoughts went to Jack Spencer. He scanned the crowd quickly, but he didn't seem him anywhere. He wondered why she hadn't wanted him to meet up with her tonight. He was damn well going to find out. He took a step towards the group when he saw a man approach Olivia from behind. He placed an arm around her waist and rested his hand there. She turned her head to look at the man and smiled. Elliot could see them talking, and then Olivia smiled, turning her body towards this man. He saw the man reach up and tuck some hair behind her ear and Olivia didn't move away; seemingly not at all concerned with the intimate gesture.

Elliot's jaw tightened and he could feel the anger and jealousy well up inside of him. _Was this why she didn't want him to show up? _ Who the hell was this guy and what the hell did he think he was doing? Putting his hands on her. And worse yet, she let him. Well fuck her. That wasn't going to happen. If she thought she was going to blow him off and leave with this guy….

He took a few steps further into the club but then stopped abruptly. He needed to calm down. He had told Olivia he trusted her. He looked back over at her, smiling and laughing with this guy. He took a deep breath. The question was…_did he_?

_Thanks for reading! Leave a review and I promise I won't leave you hanging for too long!_


	47. Chapter 47

_I loved all of the reviews from the last chapter. I am so sorry to leave you hanging like that, but at least I know people are interested in the story!_

EOEOEOEOEO

Elliot turned back towards the door of the club and walked back outside. He paced back and forth outside, trying to calm himself down. He thought about all of the conversations they'd had about trust. He thought about the things Olivia had said…and about the past 7 weeks that they'd been together. They'd been the best weeks of his life in a long time. He knew she felt the same way about him as he did about her and that she wasn't going to do anything to jeopardize that relationship. He did trust her. There was just something about seeing her around other men…having other men looking at her…lusting after her…touching her. It just got his blood boiling immediately. He honestly didn't know if it was jealousy or just a fierce need to protect her. He'd always had a need to protect those that he loved. First Kathy, then the kids, and now Olivia. But whatever it was, or wherever it came from, he had to get it under control. Olivia was a beautiful woman and as she had pointed out, she was going to get attention, comments and crude suggestions…especially in their line of work.

He took a deep breath and thought about what he had witnessed. It was nothing really. Everyone was drinking and having a good time…there hadn't been anything overtly sexual about it at all, even if it seemed to indicate a level of familiarity.

Then he remembered the message. The one telling him not to come. His mind immediately went to a darker place…why would she send that if she wasn't trying to hide something?

_Just stop._

He didn't want to act like a stereotypical jealous boyfriend; just marching in with accusations when he had no idea what was going on. That wasn't going to get him anywhere. In fact, he was pretty certain that Olivia wouldn't put up with that from him anymore…that might be the last straw for her.

He thought about when he first entered the club. When his eyes found her in the massive crowd in an instant. How his heart had soared when he saw her…how breathtakingly beautiful she was and how he wanted to rush over and pull her into his arms and kiss her. He pushed all the anger and jealousy aside. He loved her and he knew she loved him and that was what mattered. They could sort out the rest.

He turned back and walked back into the club quickly, suddenly anxious to see her. As he walked in, he paused and looked over at the tables where she'd been standing. He saw the guy she'd been talking to standing with a group of people, and Olivia was talking to Casey and Aaron. She had her back to him, and he smiled as he walked towards the group. Casey was engrossed in conversation with Olivia, but Aaron spotted him. Elliot put a finger to his lips, letting Aaron know that he didn't want to say anything. He snuck up behind Olivia, placed his hands on her hips and leaned in and whispered in her ear.

"Hello beautiful."

Olivia reacted before she realized it was Elliot, and threw her elbow back into Elliot's gut, causing a loud "oomph" from him as he took a step back and doubled over. As soon as she'd done it, she realized it had been Elliot's voice in her ear and she spun around.

"Oh my God! Elliot!" She reached out and put her hands on his shoulders and he stood up with a confused look on his face. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know it was you." She apologized with a shocked look on her face.

He stood up. "That wasn't the reception I was expecting."

Casey was laughing and Olivia shot her a dirty look. "I'm sorry." She sputtered. "The look on Elliot's face was priceless."

"El. I'm so sorry." Olivia apologized again. "Are you OK?"

Elliot smiled. "Yeah. I'm fine. You don't hit _that_ hard. You just caught me by surprise" He put his hands on her shoulders. "OK, let's try this again."

Olivia smiled. "OK."

Elliot leaned in, running his hands down her arms and letting them rest at her waist. "Hello beautiful." He placed a gentle kiss on her lips.

"Hello." Olivia wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

Elliot pushed her back, her arms dropping. "Now let me get a good look at this dress." He took her hand and turned her around slowly. "You look amazing Liv." He said, as he pulled her close to him again. He leaned in to her ear. "I like it a lot." He said, his voice low and husky.

Olivia' breath hitched slightly, the tone of his voice sending a jolt through her body. "I'm glad." She whispered. "Because I bought it with you in mind."

She placed a few light kisses on his neck and then moved her mouth back to his lips, kissing him with a little more urgency.

"All right. All right." Said Casey. "Let's keep it PG." she said. "Save that for later."

Olivia broke the kiss and moved out of Elliot's arms.

"Do you want something to drink?" Olivia asked him as the waitress stopped at their table.

Elliot ordered a beer and motioned towards Olivia. "Do you want anything?"

Olivia paused. She had several glasses of wine since the Jack incident and was still feeling pretty buzzed. "I think I'm OK." She said.

At that moment, Casey grabbed Elliot's arm. "I want to introduce you to everyone." She said, and Elliot could tell she'd had a lot to drink. She pulled him over to the group of people standing on the other side of the table and Elliot saw the man that had been talking to Olivia when he'd walked in.

"Everyone. This is Elliot Stabler. I work with him in SVU." Casey said. She proceeded to introduce everyone. When she introduced the mystery man as Aaron's brother Isaac, Elliot was surprised when she also introduced the man's fiancée.

As Isaac shook Elliot's hand, Isaac leaned over. "Hi Elliot. Nice to meet you. Olivia's great! Aaron asked me to keep an eye on her. He said Jack has been hassling her and to make sure he left her alone. She's had a little bit too much to drink, and I they had a few words, but other than that, I think it's been fine."

Elliot breathed out a sigh of relief. The man was engaged. He'd just been watching out for her. Now he was really happy that he hadn't come in acting like a jealous ass. "Thanks Isaac. This thing with Jack's been real mess. I appreciate it."

As he came back around the table, he saw Olivia watching him with a big smile on her face.

"What's the smile for?" he asked as he came up next to her.

"I'm just so happy that you're here." She said, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head on his chest.

"Me too." He said, kissing the top of her head. "That's why I was so confused when you texted me and told me not to come."

Olivia pulled back, a confused expression her face. "What?"

"Your message."

"My phone is dead El. I didn't send you a message."

"I know. Casey told me that and that's why she sent it."

Olivia shook her head. "Why would I send you a message telling you not to come?"

Elliot laughed a little; he could tell Olivia was a little drunk by the expression on her face as she tried to sort it out. She turned slightly and snagged Casey's arm, pulling her over and almost causing Casey to topple over.

"What the fuck Liv?" asked Casey as Elliot put out a hand to steady her.

"Why did you send a message to Elliot telling him not to come?" Olivia asked, annoyance in her tone.

Now it was Casey's turn to look confused. "What are you talking about? I didn't send a message. I haven't sent any messages tonight." She took a step back towards Aaron and snagged her small purse that was sitting on the table. She opened it up and pulled out her phone. She opened up the messaging app and saw two messages from her phone that had been sent to Elliot.

"See!" said Olivia. "Why would you do that?"

Casey looked confused. "I didn't. I swear Liv. I didn't send these messages. Someone must have used my phone while I was out dancing."

"Who would do that?" Olivia asked out loud before one name popped into her head. _Jack Spencer_. "Son of a bitch." She muttered under her breath.

"What?" asked Elliot and Casey simultaneously.

Olivia shook her head. "It had to be Jack. We were standing here talking…arguing. And I left to use the bathroom, but I left him here. Our purses are just sitting here on the table. My phone was dead, so he must have used Casey's. He's still trying to mess up my life. That son of a bitch."

Elliot looked around. "I looked for him earlier but I don't see him."

"He left." Olivia said.

"He left?" asked Casey. "I doubt it. He would have said goodbye, at least to me and Aaron."

"I'm pretty sure he did." Said Olivia, remembering his assault on her outside the bathroom. "He told me he was out of here."

"I don't know what his problem is lately. Whatever. His loss." Said Casey as she walked back over to Aaron. "Let's dance." She said as she pulled Aaron out onto the dance floor.

"I'm glad I didn't listen then and showed up anyway." Elliot said. "I have to say, I was pretty mad when I got the message." He confessed.

Olivia smiled. "Well, I'm glad you're here." She wrapped her arms around his waist again and pulled him close. "Now where were we?"

Elliot put his hands on her waist and slid them down to her hips, staring down at her. "I think I was telling you how much I love this dress." He gave her a kiss.

"I actually can't believe I bought it. When I put it on at Casey's, it seemed like there was a _lot_ less of it than when I tried it on in the store." Olivia said, laughing lightly.

"Well, I agree I was surprised when I first saw you when I walked in the club. This isn't something I would have expected you to pick out. But I'm glad you did. Me, and every other guy here."

Olivia slapped him on the arm lightly. "Stop it. There's a million women here dressed to kill, and a hell of a lot younger and prettier than me."

"Here's where I say something cheesy and you don't believe me. But it's true. I saw you the minute I walked in the door. Hands down, you're the most beautiful woman here."

"You're biased."

"Yep." He leaned in and kissed her more deeply this time, pulling her body towards him. He released her mouth after a few minutes, noticing most of her red lipstick was now gone. He leaned down towards her ear. "So as much as I like this dress…I can't wait to take it _OFF_." He bit down on her earlobe lightly. "How much longer do we have to stay?"

"You're horrible." Olivia laughed. "But I like it." She pulled back. "Seriously El, you just got here. I want to stay for a while longer. We never go out and I've been waiting for you to get here. Can we stay?"

Elliot leaned in and kissed her nose. "We can do whatever you want."

EOEOEOEOEO

The party was really getting amped up, as the group has grown with everyone's significant others had shown up. It was as if the late arrivals were trying to catch up. The table was filled with beer and wine and shots and Elliot was being careful, not wanting to drink too much. He watched Olivia as he could tell she was already pretty buzzed, but he only saw her take a few sips of wine or steal a few sips of his beer as the night wore on.

Elliot really liked Aaron, and now his brothers Isaac and Luke. He laughed now when he thought of his initial hatred of Isaac…when he didn't even know who he was. And Isaac was right. His fiancée Kate and Olivia really did hit it off. They were deep in conversation now and Elliot just watched Olivia, smiling to himself. She was laughing and talking with her hands and thoroughly enjoying the night out, and he vowed to take her out more often. She was right…they always just hung around the apartment and it hadn't really occurred to him that she would enjoy a night out beyond a quick dinner somewhere.

He saw Casey walk up and push herself in between Olivia and Kate, wrapping an arm around each of therm. "I haven't seen you two out dancing yet. Let's go!"

Olivia looked back at Elliot as Casey dragged her out onto the dance floor. He mouthed "have fun" and then lost sight of her as they were sucked into the massive crowd. He turned back to Isaac, involving himself in the conversation, slightly happy that she hadn't dragged him out to dance. This was not his kind of music.

EOEOEOEOEO

A half an hour had passed and Elliot looked out into the crowd. "Should we be worried?" he asked Isaac, and Isaac laughed.

"Nah, they're having fun." He said.

"I know. I just didn't think they'd be out there this long." He said. He looked at his watch again and saw that it was already a little past 2AM. And things didn't look like they were slowing down at all.

EOEOEOEOEO

Elliot ordered another beer and looked at his watch. Another half an hour had passed by. He was watching the crowd and talking with the rest of the guys when he saw Isaac's fiancée Kate walking towards them. He looked but didn't see Casey and Olivia behind her. She got to the table, fanning herself.

"It's so damn hot out there." She gasped, reaching for a cold beer. "There are so many people."

"Where are Liv and Casey?" Elliot asked.

"There still out there. They ran into someone they knew. Or I guess someone Liv knows. They're all dancing out there." She pointed in the direction of the crowd and Elliot strained to try to find Olivia, but there were just too many people.

"Who was it?" he asked, wondering who Olivia could possibly know at a club like this.

Kate shrugged. "I don't know. I left. I'm dying." She kept fanning herself and held the cold beer glass up to her cheek.

Elliot was torn about what to do. He didn't want to ruin Olivia's fun, but at this point, he had been standing here with the guys for almost an hour. He had no idea when she was going to get off the dance floor, and he was wondering who she could have possibly run in to.

He set down his beer. "I'm going to go find Liv." He said to Isaac and headed towards the dance floor. The crowd was thick and it was insanely hot as he worked his way into the crowd, looking left and right for Olivia. He finally spotted her, and she had her back to him. She was moving her body to the music and Elliot was mesmerized watching her hips sway to the beat. He crept up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, burying his face in her neck while he pulled her body against his. "You're so damn sexy." He whispered, dropping one hand to her abdomen and pulling her tight against him.

Olivia stiffened in his grasp and he hesitated, wondering what was wrong when he heard a voice.

"Dad?"

_Ha! So who's at the club? And what's going to happen when Elliot finds out what Jack did? And what's in store for them when they get home? Thanks for the reviews! More to come soon. I promise!_


	48. Chapter 48

_Hi readers! Sorry for the delay in getting this chapter posted, but there was a lot going on and I wanted to get it all in; thus this chapter is longer than most but I suppose not as long as it could be. I really appreciate all of your comments and reviews!_

EOEOEOEOEO

When Elliot had found Olivia in the crowd, he had seen Casey, but hadn't recognized anyone else. Truthfully, once his eyes had settled on Olivia, he had been mesmerized by the sight of her, her hips swaying to the music, and he hadn't looked beyond that.

"Dad?" Elliot's head snapped up as he scanned the faces around him, and he quickly removed his hands and body from Olivia's. He looked up and quickly examined the faces around them, quickly settling on the one with the surprised expression on her face.

"Maureen? What the hell are you doing here?" he said, stepping around Olivia and moving towards his oldest daughter.

"I'm out with my friends." She said, motioning to the girls with her. "I saw Olivia and she told me that you guys were here for Casey's party."

"Yeah, but what are you doing at a club?" Elliot asked, placing a hand on her arm.

"Dad." Maureen rolled her eyes. "I'm 21. I'm old enough to be here."

Elliot considered that for a moment. Damn, she was right. "Are you drunk?"

"I'm not drunk Dad." Another eye roll. "Are you?"

"No! I'm not drunk! I just…" his voice trailed off. This was just so strange because it never occurred to him that his daughter would go out clubbing in the city. He knew she was old enough but in his mind, she was still his little girl. "Do you go out to clubs a lot?"

"_Dad_." Maureen said, annoyance in her tone. "I'm not doing anything wrong or illegal."

Elliot opened his mouth to say something when Maureen continued.

"I would never have expected _you_ to be at a place like this." Maureen smiled. She bumped him with her hip. "You and Olivia?" she asked, raising her eyebrows in a questioning manner.

Elliot remembered Olivia then, and looked back to see where she had gone. He saw she was standing just a few feet away, talking to Casey and another woman, but they were all watching him. Olivia was probably filling them in on what was going on.

"I…" Elliot wasn't quite sure what to say. Olivia hadn't wanted to tell the kids yet, but he'd been caught in the act. There was no denying they were together after she'd seen him with his hands all over Olivia. He looked back at Maureen and saw she was still standing there, a smile on her face, waiting for an answer. She obviously wasn't going to let it go.

Elliot reached out and grabbed Olivia's hand, pulling her towards him. He wrapped an arm around her waist and Elliot saw a surprised look on Olivia's face. "Yes. Me and Olivia." He hesitated for a second, watching the expression on Maureen's face. "Is that OK?"

Maureen grinned. "It's fine Dad. It's not like a big surprise."

"What?"

"Dad. Kathleen and I talk about this all the time. We were just wondering why it's taken you so long." She took a step forward and gave Olivia a big hug. "We love Olivia. And it's never been any big secret how you feel about her." She said as she released her and Elliot could feel Olivia relax in his arm.

"Do I get a hug?" Elliot asked.

Maureen rolled her eyes again. "Dad. I'm at the club. With my friends. I'm embarrassed that you're even here. I'll see you later." She turned to walk away but Elliot snagged her arm.

"Mo. Just a second." Maureen stopped and turned back to face him. "Don't say anything to anyone OK? I want to talk about this some more and I want to be the one to tell your brothers and sisters."

"I get it Dad. I'll talk to you tomorrow." She moved away from him and disappeared into the crowd.

Elliot turned back towards Olivia and put his hands on her upper arms. "Well, I guess our secret's out."

Olivia took a deep breath and nodded. "I guess."

"You were dancing with her. Didn't you tell her I was here?"

"I told her you were here, but I didn't say we were here _together_. I didn't expect you to come up and grab me like that."

"I couldn't help myself. I meant what I said." He grabbed her waist and pulled her towards him. "You _are_ so damn sexy." He gave her a kiss. "Are you OK with…you know…the kids knowing?"

"I guess we have to tell them sooner or later."

Elliot kissed her again. "Sooner is better Liv. I want everyone to know how much I love you."

Olivia wrapped her arms around his waist and Elliot deepened the kiss. They were swaying slowly to the music, despite the techno beat blasting from the speakers and the gyrating bodies around them.

Elliot pulled his lips from hers and placed his cheek against hers. "Liv. Can we go home now?" he said as his hands slid down to her ass. "You, in this dress, is driving me crazy."

Olivia laughed. "Yeah, El, let's go home." She kissed him again. "But we have to say goodbye to everyone."

Elliot groaned. "That will take another half an hour."

Now it was Olivia's turn to roll her eyes. "You'll survive." She pulled away and reached over and snagged Casey's arm. She and Jenny and Sarah and some unidentified guy were dancing next to them. Casey wrapped her arm around Olivia's waist and pulled her into the group, laughing.

"Olivia!" She bumped her hip against hers. "Dance with us!" she yelled as she kept moving to the music. Olivia stumbled a little but Elliot was right behind her and he grabbed her around the waist.

""We're leaving!" Olivia yelled, trying to make herself heard over the noise.

"No!" said Casey. "Don't leave yet." She kept her arms latched around Olivia.

Olivia turned her head slightly, nodding towards Elliot, and smiled. "We're leaving Casey."

Casey got a big grin on her face. "Stabler can't keep it in his pants huh?" She laughed.

Elliot could hear her and he pulled Olivia back into his body, wrapping his arms around her. "It's your fault. I think you helped her pick this dress." He dropped his lips to her neck, and started placing kisses along her bare shoulder. Olivia dropped her head back, loving the feeling of his lips on her.

He felt Olivia being pulled from his arms as Casey pulled her to her in a big hug. "I'm so glad you were her Liv. I'm having so much fun." She got close to Olivia's ear. "You still owe me details Benson."

She pulled back and Elliot reached for Olivia's arm. Olivia turned to say goodbye to Jenny and Sarah but they were dancing and weren't paying any attention, so Olivia let it go. She and Elliot walked back to the table with Elliot and they saw the rest of the group was still there.

Olivia reached for Isaac's arm and he turned. "Olivia!" he said, smiling when he saw her and Elliot. Everyone made room at the table for both of them.

"We're going." She said.

"No!" said Isaac. "Don't go guys. We're having such a good time." Kate and Luke and the others chimed in, saying the same thing.

Kate looped her arm around Olivia's. "I was just getting to know you. Stay!"

Olivia looked at Elliot. "No, I think we're going to go." She said.

"Just one more drink." Said Luke. "A toast." He handed Olivia a shot glass filled with something pink.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Some raspberry thing." Kate said.

Olivia looked at Elliot again and bit her bottom lip. She was still feeling buzzed and all of the dancing and heat of the dance floor hadn't helped. Elliot raised an eyebrow at her, but didn't say anything.

Kate handed Elliot one of the shot glasses, and he took it.

"A toast to Casey and Aaron…and the best wedding party ever!" Isaac said, and they all clinked their shot glasses and downed their shot. Olivia turned back towards Elliot and saw he hadn't taken his shot. He set it down on the table.

"Ready to go?" he asked, his tone leaving no room for discussion.

Olivia nodded and turned to say goodbye to everyone. Elliot thanked Isaac again for keeping an eye out for Olivia. When they had said goodbye to everyone, Olivia wrapped her arms around Elliot's waist and kissed him. "I'm ready to go." She said as she pulled him tight against her. She looked up at him through her eyelashes and gave him a sultry smile. "I need to get out of this dress and these heels." She placed a kiss on his jawbone and then trailed her tongue up to his ear. "Although maybe I could leave the heels on."

The deep timbre of her voice went straight to his groin and he practically growled. "Let's go."

He pulled away and wrapped his arm around her waist, starting to lead her out of the club. "Wait, my purse." She pointed to her purse on the table, and Elliot snatched it up, not wanting to waste any more time getting back to her place.

EOEOEOEOEO

Olivia slid up next to Elliot in the cab, and he let out a little groan when he saw how her short skirt had ridden up high on her thighs. He placed a hand just above her knee and slowly slid it up her thigh, stopping mid-way up. Olivia laid her head back on the seat and sighed, moving her legs apart a little. She put her hand on top of Elliot's, urging him to move higher.

Elliot looked up and saw the cabdriver looking at them in the rearview mirror and he shot him a dirty look. The cabbie turned his eyes back to the road, but Elliot knew he still had one eye on them. Elliot leaned over and whispered in her ear "Not here Liv."

Olivia opened her eyes and looked at him. "El…" she said in a pleading whisper, pushing his hand farther up on her thigh. "Just touch me."

_Jesus Christ._

Elliot felt his dick twitch. God he wanted to touch her but he also didn't want the cabbie getting an eyeful, or get arrested for public indecency. He looked down at his hand on her thigh and then let his eyes wander back up her body. The dress she was wearing didn't leave much to the imagination and he wanted her. _Badly_. His eyes continued up to her face and he saw she had her eyes closed again.

He paused for a second, watching her, wondering how much she'd had to drink tonight. Was she drunk? Olivia wasn't the type of woman to allow public displays of affection, much less have sex in public. At least as far as he knew. So was a little surprised at her boldness here in the cab.

"Liv." He whispered and she slowly opened her eyes and smiled.

"El." She whispered, squeezing the hand on her thigh.

"How much have you had to drink?"

Olivia got a puzzled look on her face. "What?"

He leaned in a little closer. "Are you drunk Liv?"

Olivia laughed. "It's OK officer…you have my permission to do whatever you want." She giggled and Elliot furrowed his brow. Olivia did _not_ giggle.

"Liv. I'm serious."

Olivia lifted her head from the seat back. "I'm fine Elliot." She snaked her hand around the back of his neck and pulled him towards her, placing her mouth on his and sucking on his bottom lip. "You'll find that out when we get home."

EOEOEOEOEO

They got into Olivia's apartment and Elliot dropped the keys and Olivia's purse on the kitchen counter. He toed off his shoes and turned back towards Olivia. She was walking towards the bedroom and Elliot watched as she swayed a little unevenly on her heels. She put her hand against the wall as she made it to the bedroom and Elliot shook his head. Olivia never normally drank to excess. He knew this was a special occasion, and he wasn't upset with her. He just knew she'd be paying for it in the morning.

When Olivia reached the bedroom door, she turned and propped a hand on the doorframe and cocked a hip. She raised an eyebrow and licked her kips. "Are you going to join me?" she asked. Elliot's eyes roved up and down her body and settled on her mouth. As if she had read his mind, she licked her lips and turned and walked into the bedroom. Elliot wasn't going to wait one more second. He moved to follow her, unbuttoning his shirt as he moved towards the door.

When he reached the bedroom door, he saw Olivia standing here facing him, one hand on her hip and the other bent at the elbow, her handcuffs dangling from her fingers. She licked her lips again and Elliot felt a rush of heat to his groin as he took in the scene in front of him. That dress, that pouty mouth, her long legs in those spiky heels, the handcuffs dangling there.

"Come here El." She said, her voice husky.

Elliot pulled off his shirt and dropped it on the ground, and started walking towards her. "What did you have in mind?" he asked, snagging the handcuffs from her fingers and tossing them on the bed.

Olivia took a step towards him and trailed a finger down his cheek. "I thought maybe I would cuff you to the bed and let my mouth and my tongue trail over your body." She licked her lips again and Elliot felt his knees buckle slightly at the thought of her mouth on him. He swallowed hard. She ran her hands over his chest and leaned in, placing kisses on his chest. "Would you like that?" She flicked her tongue over his nipple and a jolt went through his body.

"Liv." His voice was husky with desire. He didn't think he could take any more teasing from her. The thought of her handcuffing him…her mouth on him…he would come in minutes. And he didn't want to come in her hand… or her mouth. He wanted…no he _needed_…to be inside her. Tonight was not the night for this…for a long, slow tease. He was already too wound up; had been since he'd seen her in that dress.

"No." he said, pulling her to him. He cupped her face with his hands and kissed her deeply. He tilted his face and as she opened her mouth to him, he drove his tongue in to meet hers. He kissed her hard, and his hands traveled down from her face to her shoulders, pushing at the straps of her dress. They were tight against her and he couldn't push them off. Olivia broke the kiss.

"You have to..."

Elliot reached around, looking for the zipper on the back of the dress but groaned in frustration as he moved his hands across the skin of her back. "What the fuck?"

Olivia laughed. "It's on the side."

Elliot slid his hands to the side and found the zipper, trying to yank it down, but getting frustrated when it seemed to be stuck. Olivia pushed him back. "Let me."

Elliot stepped back a few steps, watching her as she reached to her right side and slowly unzipped the dress. She reached up with her hands, lowering the straps on her shoulder but holding the material in place over her breasts. She bit her bottom lip and moved her arm, letting the dress fall to her feet. She smiled as Elliot groaned.

"Jesus Liv." She was wearing a sheer red bra and the smallest sheer panties he'd ever seen. He had a fleeting though. _Why bother?_ But the way his dick was throbbing…he knew the answer to that. To drive him crazy. He closed the gap between them, scooped her up and tossed her on the bed. She gasped out in surprise; he had moved so quickly. He stood next to the bed, and shed his pants and boxer briefs in a flash.

Olivia had gotten up on her knees and she moved over to the side of the bed to meet him. He laced his fingers through her hair and pulled her in for a kiss. He devoured her mouth, their tongue tangling. He dropped one hand to her breast, teasing her nub through the sheer fabric. His dick throbbed as she pressed her body against his and trapped him in between their bodies. He slid a hand down to her hip, fingering the thin strap of her panties. He let his other hand drop to the other side, and hooked his fingers into that side, yanking them down over her hips. Olivia sat down slowly, never taking her eyes off Elliot's face. She leaned to the side and pulled her panties down and off her legs. She got back up on her knees, but dropped down on all fours, moving so her back was facing him.

She looked back at Elliot and saw the look of confusion on his face. She pushed her ass back into his erection.

"Fuck me El." She whispered.

_Jesus Fucking Christ_.

He swallowed hard. Kathy hadn't been very adventurous in the bedroom; she never been a big fan of letting him take her from behind.

"Liv." He said, his voice barely more than a whisper.

She looked back at him again and licked her lips. "El." She bumped her ass against him again and his hard on slipped between her legs. He could feel her wetness coat him and he groaned. He reached up with his fingers, and ran his fingers through her folds. He groaned at how wet she was and she pushed herself back again. His fingers found her entrance and she groaned loudly as he slid two fingers into her, pushing back against the resistance of her body. "Fuck El." She groaned, arching her back. He slid his fingers in and out slowly, and his dick throbbed with need.

He pulled out his fingers and lined himself up with her entrance. "Liv. Are you sure?" This position seemed so impersonal; he wanted to kiss her…to see her eyes. But it was also exciting…Olivia relinquishing control to him like this.

Olivia looked back again, frustration in her voice. "Elliot. For God's sake. Will you fuck me already?"

Elliot grabbed her hips and drove himself into her, groaning as her walls closed around him. He was deep…so deep. Olivia was moaning and she felt so fucking amazing. He hesitated a minute, enjoying the sensation when Olivia pushed back into him.

"Move El."

He pulled out and drove back into her and Olivia gasped. He pulled out and did it again and Olivia pushed back into him. Elliot was holding her hips and pulling her back into him and he couldn't believe the sensations running through is body.

"Harder El." Olivia gasped out and it was all Elliot tried to comply but her walls were clenching around him and he didn't want to come already…but he didn't know if he could stop it.

Olivia was moaning and swearing he tried to focus on the motion of their bodies.

"Fuck Fuck Fuck…" Olivia kept up a mantra of swear words intermingled with his name and he wanted to touch her...grasp her breasts…rub her clit…but he was caught in his vice and this motion and all he could focus on was not coming now. He looked at her back, coated with perspiration. Her head was down and her hair had fallen to the side, so he could see her neck and his eyes trailed down the length of her spine to her ass as he watched himself driving into her.

His fingers were digging into her hips and he pummeled into her hard, causing Olivia's arms to buckle. He dug harder into her hips, not wanting to lose this rhythm as the pleasure was coursing through his body. She propped her body back up on her hands and Elliot could feel her entire body shuddering as she gasped out another string of unintelligible words and came hard. Her walls clenched hard around him, making it almost impossible for him to move and he let go, his entire body shaking. His grip on her didn't relent and he held her to him as he convulsed inside her. Olivia's arms buckled again and she fell onto the mattress and he couldn't stop it as he slipped from his body; their intimate connection lost.

"Jesus Fucking Christ Liv."

He fell down on the mattress next to her, groaning. He was breathing heavily and tried to prop himself up on his side towards her but didn't have the energy. He looked over at Olivia and she was still on her stomach, her face buried in the sheets.

"Liv?" When he didn't get a response, he rolled on to his side and ran a hand down her back. "Liv?" She rolled over, away from him and Elliot saw a strange look on her face. "What is it?" He thought about how hard he had been driving into her. "Did I hurt you?" When she didn't say anything, he glanced down between her legs, as if looking for evidence that he had. He looked over at her and saw her eyes were closed. "Liv?" He shook her slightly and her eyes popped open.

"I'm not feeling very well…" her voice trailed off and then she was off the bed and heading towards the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.


	49. Chapter 49

Elliot smiled as he saw Olivia emerge from the bedroom. Her eyes were still half-closed and her hair was a mess. She looked only slightly better than when he had put her to bed last night…well, actually, early this morning. He knew she couldn't be feeling well.

Last night, when he had heard her getting sick in the bathroom, he had given her a few minutes of privacy. When it got quiet, he had opened the bathroom door slowly, asking if it was OK to come in. He didn't get any sort of reply, so he had opened the door and was greeted with a pathetic sight. She was hunched over the toilet, gripping on to the sides, still wearing that red sheer bra and nothing else. He instantly felt horrible about the events that had just occurred. She hadn't said anything about feeling sick, and she hadn't seemed that drunk. In hindsight, she was a little tipsy maybe, but perfectly able to comprehend what was going on, and was actively participating. Still, he felt guilty…as if he should have known better.

He reverted his attention back to Olivia as she slumped down on the couch next to him, folding her legs underneath her and pulling at the t-shirt he had dressed her in.

"What time is it?" she mumbled, rubbing her hands up and over her face and back through her hair.

Elliot looked at his watch. "Almost 2."

She got a puzzled look on her face. "In the afternoon?"

Elliot laughed. "Yes, in the afternoon." He gestured towards the windows, pointing out the fact that it was daytime. He leaned forward and put a hand on her knee. "How're you feeling?"

"I'm fine." Olivia gave her standard answer, even though her head was pounding and she felt like she could sleep for another 12 hours.

"Uh-huh." Said Elliot, smiling. He knew that even though she'd thrown up most of whatever she'd had to drink, her head and stomach still had to be hurting. "Just what did you have to drink last night?"

Olivia lay her head on the back of the couch and closed her eyes, not wanting to even _think_ about alcohol. _She was never drinking again_. "Um." She said, trying to focus her mind. "Champagne, wine, beer…" her voice trailed off. "Some shots. Oh, and some tequila."

"Jesus Liv. It's a wonder you were able to stand at all."

Olivia opened her eyes. "Well, that was spaced out over the night El. And it's not like I had a lot of each."

"It's mixing all the different kinds of alcohol that does you in." He said.

"Thanks Professor." Olivia said snidely. As if she didn't know that.

He lifted his hand from her knee and shrugged his shoulders. "Hey, I'm just saying."

Olivia let out a loud sigh. "Is there coffee?"

Elliot chuckled. "Yes Liv. There's coffee." He stood up. "I bet you could probably use some water and so ibuprofen too." He walked into the kitchen and Olivia could hear him rustling around. He poked his head around the wall. "Do you want something to eat?"

The thought of food made Olivia's stomach start to churn. "God no. Just bring me the coffee." She said irritably.

Elliot smiled inwardly. She was in a charming mood today. He was going to have to be careful not to push her too hard. If he pissed her off, it would easily spiral into an argument. He walked out of the kitchen and handed her the pain reliever and the water.

"Here you go." He set the mug of hot coffee down on the table in front of her and sat back down next to her.

"So. What do you remember about last night? Fill me in on all the parts I missed and I'll fill you in on the parts you missed." He joked, but he got a dirty stare from her.

"I remember everything El. Thank you very much. Dinner, the limo, Posh, Jack, Maureen, you."

"Jack?" Elliot asked, eyebrows furrowed together. "Was Jack there? I didn't see him when I got there."

Olivia closed her eyes. _Damn it_. In her haste to prove she remembered everything, she had mentioned the one thing she had intended on leaving out. She had already decided she wasn't going to tell Elliot about what happened with Jack. She knew Elliot would go after Jack for what he did, and he didn't want him to end up in jail again.

"Yes, he was there but I didn't talk to him much. He left early. Before you got there."

"Isaac said that Aaron asked him to keep an eye on you…and that he saw you and Jack arguing."

Olivia's head came up off the couch. "Isaac is a nice guy, but I didn't appreciate Aaron assigning someone to babysit me."

"But you and Jack argued?"

"I don't remember." Said Olivia, looking away.

Elliot knew she was lying. He just wasn't sure why. "You can't remember? Or you don't want to tell me?"

Olivia's eyes flashed back to his. Now she was stuck. If she said she didn't remember what she and Jack had fought about, Elliot would go on thinking she'd been too drunk to remember parts of the night. If she said she did remember everything, he push her to tell her what they argued about. The truth was that she had been pleasantly buzzed all night, but she remembered everything.

"I remember Elliot. It's just normal Jack Spencer BS." She closed her eyes again. "It doesn't matter because I'm going to tell Casey that I want out of the wedding." _Damn it again._ What the hell was she doing? She hadn't wanted to tell him that, at least not yet, because he'd know something had happened. Her hungover brain was not cooperating; she needed to stop talking.

"Why _now_? What the hell happened Olivia?" Elliot's voice notched up with concern, because if she hadn't dropped out of the wedding after all the BS she'd been through with him, then something bad had to have happened. Something more serious than everything that had happened so far. He reached out and placed a hand on her upper arm, shaking her lightly and forcing her to open her eyes. "Liv."

"It's nothing Elliot. I'm just sick of dealing with him. You know Isaac was watching…he would have told you if he saw anything serious."

Elliot stared at her, his eyes moving back and forth between hers. He considered what she said. There was some truth to it, but he could tell she was holding something back. But he could tell she wasn't going to divulge any more information. He dropped it for now, not wanting to push her when she wasn't feeling well.

He dropped his hand from her arm and leaned away from her slightly as she reached over to pick up the mug of coffee. She took a sip and made a face. Her brain needed the coffee but her stomach was arguing the point.

"So…" Elliot started. "Do you remember the cab ride home and…what happened when we got home?" He was horrified to think that maybe she'd been too drunk. He pictured her looking back at him, pushing her ass into him and telling him to fuck her…and his face flushed with heat.

Olivia must have noticed his reaction and she smiled. "Yes El. I remember." She took another sip of coffee. "I told you that I wasn't that drunk."

"You just took me by surprise. We've had a lot of sex in the past seven weeks…"

Olivia rolled her eyes. "That's an understatement. It's like we're training for the fucking Olympics." She laughed at her inadvertent play on words, and then winced at the pain in her head.

"We've never done it like _that_…" he continued.

Olivia raised her eyebrows. Ah…the good Catholic boy shows himself again. She waited a moment to see if he was going to say anything else. "If you're not comfortable with that El… you just have to say so."

"I didn't say that. That's not what I'm saying. I just…well, my sex life up to now has been pretty vanilla. Kathy..."

Olivia held up a hand, interrupting him. "I do NOT want to hear about your sex life with Kathy."

"I'm just saying that there's a lot of things that I…" Elliot scrubbed his hands over his face. This shouldn't be that awkward. When you've had sex with someone every day for the past 7 weeks…when you've had your hands and mouth on every part of her body…they should be able to talk about stuff like this. But he was raised a good Catholic boy. Sex was about procreation, not enjoyment. It wasn't discussed.

He tried to focus his thoughts. He was trying to tell her that there were just certain things that Kathy didn't like or that he didn't even consider trying with her. Over time, their sex life had become pretty routine. Sex by the numbers. But Olivia was different…he knew their sex life would be different…more adventurous for sure. He wasn't talking about anything way out there or anything but…

Olivia could see he was struggling and part of her wanted to make him sweat it out. Just to see if he could say what was on his mind. Plus, she was just so hungover that any kind of deep conversation was out of the question.

"Yes?" she said, trying to hold back a smile, but not being very successful.

"I just…" Elliot rubbed his chin with his knuckle and she rolled her eyes. "Forget it." He decided this was a conversation for another day. Or never. He would just let what unfolded.

Olivia's interest was piqued, despite her pounding head.

"So what kinds of things are we talking about?" she asked, putting an innocent expression on her face.

"I don't have a list Liv." He grumbled. "But for example, we've had sex in practically every part of this apartment." He waved his hand around the apartment. "I've never had sex in any room of my house except the bedroom. At least not while I was married." He looked away from her. "And last night. When you were standing there dangling those handcuffs…" Elliot felt a rush of heat just thinking about it. "And then when you…" his voice cracked and trailed off. He was getting worked up just thinking about it. He could picture her standing there with those damn handcuffs and when she remembered what she'd said to him. He swallowed hard.

Olivia smiled. She wanted to let the poor guy off the hook. "Got it El." She leaned forward, wincing slightly. "It's just like anything else El. We both have different experiences. And as we go forward, we just have to agree to be completely honest with each other. I'll tell you if you're doing something I don't like and you do the same." She leaned back. "So far, I've liked _everything_ you've done to me."

Elliot smiled. He didn't know how she could be so incredibly hungover and still be so damn sexy, the words rolling out of her mouth like a come-on. He knew that his desire for her would moderate over time, but right now, he couldn't imagine it. If he didn't know how horrible she was feeling right now, he'd have that t-shirt off so fast she wouldn't even know what was happening.

He grunted, which Olivia took for agreement.

"Now can we please save all of this serious discussion for a day when I'm feeling even just a little bit better?" She closed her eyes again.

"Sure." He stood up and kissed her on the forehead. "Can I get you anything else?"

She slid down on the couch, her t-shirt hiking up over her hips. "Can I just get a blanket?"

Elliot pulled a blanket from the basket on the side of the couch and spread it over her. She closed her eyes and sighed.

"Liv." Elliot ran his hand across her forehead. "Just one more thing before you fall asleep."

Olivia opened her eyes and looked up at him. "Yeah?" she said.

Elliot could see she was already half asleep again. "You know that Maureen knows about us. So I think we need to tell the other kids sooner rather than later. I don't trust Maureen to keep that secret for very long."

"Fine." Olivia mumbled, her eyes slipping closed.

"I made plans to have dinner with the kids. I'd hoped you'd be feeling better." He stroked her forehead again. "Liv. I want you to go with me."

Olivia opened her eyes halfway. "El. I'm not going anywhere today." She closed her eyes again. "Just go."

"Are you sure?" he asked. He wasn't sure if she was thinking clearly, and he wanted to be sure. He didn't know if it was a good idea for her to be there or not, but he had wanted it to be her decision.

"It's fine El." She said softly, never opening her eyes.

He sighed, hoping she wouldn't be mad when she woke up. He wrote a note and left it on the coffee table, along with a bottle of water and some more ibuprofen.

EOEOEOEOEO

Elliot had spoken to Maureen and she had agreed to come along with Elliot when he told Kathleen, Dick and Liz about his relationship with Olivia. Even though Maureen had told him that she and Kathleen had expected it, he was worried about telling the twins. They were only 13, and Dick was already upset with him because he perceived that the divorce was Elliot's fault. He was very protective when it came to his mother.

He picked Maureen up at the university and they drove into Queens. They discussed school and friends and other neutral topics and Elliot was glad that he successfully avoided talking to Maureen about his and Olivia's relationship. Truthfully, he hadn't really thought about what he was going to say to the kids; he hadn't been expecting to tell them so quickly. But after his run-in with Maureen last night, he felt he had to act quickly.

When he pulled up to the house, the kids were waiting and they piled in the car. Elliot saw Kathleen give Maureen a quick, knowing look, and he knew Maureen had already told her.

They pulled up to the kid's favorite pizza place and piled in. They all were talking over each other while trying to agree on pizza and ordering drinks, and Elliot found himself thoroughly enjoying the chaos. He missed this.

They were finishing up the pizza when Maureen cleared her throat. "So Dad, anything new?"

Elliot narrowed his eyes at her, and then looked back at the rest of the kids. They were now staring at him, waiting for him to answer.

"Well, as a matter of fact. There is something I wanted to talk to you guys about." Elliot started, his voice laced with nerves. He looked around the table, seeing four faces staring back at him and he froze for a second.

"Just spit it out Dad." Said Maureen impatiently.

Elliot shot her another look. He looked back at Dick and Liz. "OK. Well, I'm seeing someone." He knew it was blunt, but it really wasn't worth beating around the bush.

"What?" asked Dick. "What do you mean you're seeing someone?"

Elliot just stared at him for a second. Could he say he and Olivia were dating? It was so much more than that. "Well, I mean, I'm seeing Olivia." He swallowed hard again. That really didn't do much to answer the question, or maybe it did. Because seeing Olivia vs. seeing someone new to them were two different things.

Kathleen let out a small squeal. "I knew it!" she said, rather loudly and she turned and looked at Maureen. "I told you!"

Those two started chattering and Elliot turned to look at Dick and Liz. They were both looking down at their plates and Elliot put out a hand towards Kathleen and Maureen. "Girls. Shush."

He kept looking at Dick and Liz, and he could see Dick's jaw tightening. He reached out for Liz, who was sitting next to him. "Liz?"

She looked up at him and he could see where eyes were glassy. "Does Mom know?" she said in a quiet voice.

"Of course she knows dumbass!" Dick yelled. "Why do you think she and Dad were fighting all the time? It was about _her_." He spat the word out as if it was a swear word. "It's always been about her!" He was clearly angry and his voice was loud in the relatively quiet restaurant.

Elliot saw a tear slip down Liz's face, and he wasn't sure if it was about him and Olivia or about Dick's outburst. As twins, they were connected, but they were polar opposites. Liz was very sensitive and Dick carried all of Elliot's anger.

"Liz. Mom and I talked at Kathleen's birthday party. I haven't formally told her we're seeing each other, but she knows how I feel about Olivia."

"How does she feel about you cheating on her with that…" Dick blurted out but Elliot cut him off before he could say anything else.

"Don't you dare!" He wasn't certain what word Dick was going to use, but it wasn't going to be good. "You do NOT speak about Olivia that way." Elliot said, trying to control his anger. Anger would get him nowhere.

Maureen chimed in. "Dick! You know Dad would never cheat on Mom. And Olivia isn't like that. She wouldn't have let him. You just need to grow up. People get divorced all the time. It's no one's fault, It just happens."

"She made you leave Mom. She's lured you away." Dick muttered.

"Dick. That's not true. Your mom and I got divorced for a number of reasons. Mostly, we just grew apart. We got married very young and we've both changed a lot. My job takes its' toll. And yes, Olivia and I were close. We've been through too much together _not_ to be close." He leaned over and placed a hand on Liz's arm. "So Olivia may be a part of the reason our marriage ended, but it's not just about that. I swear it's not. I tried to work things out with your Mom. Many times. But it just wasn't working anymore. Your Mom deserves to be happy. And I wasn't making her happy."

Elliot could see a few tears streaming down Liz's face and he felt awful. He looked over at Dick, who was stabbing at his leftover pizza with his fork.

Liz sniffled a little and looked up at Elliot. "I like Olivia Dad. It's just going to take some time to get used to the idea." She said. Elliot squeezed her hand.

"Thanks honey."

Elliot looked over at Kathleen and Maureen. Kathleen spoke up. "Dad, we've know you had feelings for Olivia. We've seen how close you two had become. It's not really a big surprise. And we know you never cheated on Mom." She shrugged. "And really, things are a lot less tense at home. I mean, you guys were either fighting, or not talking to each other."

Maureen chimed in. "Dad, we love Olivia. And I know she makes you happy. We want you to be happy Dad." She kicked Dick under the table and he looked up with a scowl on his face. "Don't we?"

Dick didn't respond and he looked back down at his plate. Elliot could tell he was trying hard to keep his anger in check, but he wasn't having much luck. He stood up abruptly and his chair almost fell over.

"I'm going home." He walked out and Elliot watched him go. He knew that if he followed him, it would get ugly. He needed some time to process everything. He was his father's son. The house was less than a mile away, so Elliot wasn't worried about him making it home.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and he looked over and saw Maureen looking at him. "It'll be OK Dad. He just needs time to cool off. We'll talk to him."

"You know he's always protective of Mom." Kathleen said. "He'll be OK."

"Liz?" Elliot asked. He could deal with Dick's anger because he knew it; he understood it. But he was worried about his youngest daughter. She was really quiet and he knew her loyalty was torn between her dad, her mom, and her brother. He took her hand. "Are you OK?" he asked.

She gave him a small smile. "Yeah Dad." She looked serious again. "Are you sure Mom's OK?"

Elliot smiled. Liz was always the caretaker, wanting to make sure everyone was happy. "I'll be honest with you Liz. I know it will be hard for your Mom. It's hard when one person moves on and the other one hasn't. And I know it's strange because it's Olivia. Maybe it would have been easier if it was a stranger. I don't know. But your Mom will find someone to love, and she'll be happy. And I will always love your Mom. Always." He looked back at Kathleen and Maureen. "I mean that girls. Your mom was my first love…and if it hadn't been for her, I wouldn't have you kids. I wouldn't trade any of that for the world."

_More to come…I can't believe how fast these chapters go! I'll update soon. Please leave a review or comment!_


	50. Chapter 50

Elliot pulled up in front of the house…his old house…to drop the kids off. The girls piled out of the car and he got out as well. He had just shut the door when he saw Kathy come out of the house. She said hi to the girls and he saw Liz give her a big hug. She must have told them to go inside, because they looked back and waved and went inside as she walked towards the car. He leaned with his hands on the doorframe, facing her, assessing her body language. She didn't look upset or angry…she just looked tired.

She stopped a few feet from the car, her hands clasped in front of her as if she didn't know what to do with them.

"I don't think it's a good idea for you to come in." she said quietly. She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and sighed.

"I take it Dickie got home." He said.

"Yeah." Kathy took a deep breath. "I wish you would have told me that you were going to talk to them tonight. I wasn't prepared."

Elliot instantly felt horrible about the position he'd put her in. "When I called and told you that I wanted to take the kids out and talk to them, I thought you understood." In reality, he knew he was a coward. He hadn't wanted to address it directly with her, and had assumed that since they'd talked previously about his feelings for Olivia, and hers for him, that she'd just know what he wanted to talk to them about. He immediately added. "I'm sorry."

Kathy looked away for a moment before she turned back to him. He could see her eyes were glassy, tears threatening her lower lashes. "Even though I knew this was coming…it's still a shock. Like a punch in the gut."

Elliot came around the car and moved towards her but she put up a hand. "Don't."

"Kathy. I never wanted to hurt you." He started but she shook her head.

"Elliot. I can't talk about this right now."

Elliot moved closer. He started to reach out to pull her into a hug but she took a step back.

"I'm serious Elliot. It's just too much right now. My emotions are too raw and now I have to deal with the kids…" She looked back towards the house.

"Let me come in. I'll spend some time with the kids. We can talk some more."

Kathy seemed to consider what he said but then shook her head again. "No, I think Liz and Dick need some time to process this. Especially Dickie. He's pretty angry. I think it would be better if you're not here."

"Kath…" Elliot said. There was so much that he wanted to say. He felt pathetic but he wanted confirmation from her that they were still on the same page regarding the end of their marriage. That Olivia hadn't been the cause of their breakup. Because when they had originally discussed finally getting divorced, they had both agreed it was based on so many factors. Olivia had never come up in the conversation. But now…he felt like everyone was focusing on his feelings for Olivia as the reason for the split. He needed Kathy to confirm that she hadn't ended up there as well. "I tried to make the kids understand all the reasons we split up. But Dick is focused on Olivia. I told them that's just not true."

Kathy cocked her head slightly, and her eyes darted back and forth between his. His gut clenched because he could read the look on her face. "Isn't it?" she said quietly and his stomach dropped.

"Kathy." Elliot gasped, surprised by what she'd said. They had had this conversation…numerous times. When they'd fought over the years, his job and the time he spent with Olivia had come up. But when they were actually serious discussing separation and divorce, they had easily agreed on a number of factors: they got married too young, they were different people now, they'd grown apart, Elliot's job, the toll it took the family, his time away from them and on and on. Olivia had never come up. Not one damn time. "That's not…Olivia _never_ came up when we talked about separating and when we finally talked about getting divorced."

Kathy sucked her bottom lip in and seemed to consider him for a moment. "But she's always there El. Even though we never said it…if you hadn't fallen in love with her, would things have been different?"

Elliot blinked a couple of times, completely blind-sided by what she had said. He prided himself on doing the right thing. He had stayed in his marriage and had tried to fix it so many times. It was what he had committed to…but it had been Kathy that he brought up the subject of divorce. Had convinced him it was for the best. And now she was blaming him? And Olivia?

He fell back against the car. He wasn't even certain what to say without blowing up at her. He finally managed to speak.

"Where is this coming from?" he asked. "We agreed…_you_ brought up divorce."

Kathy crossed her arms. "Elliot, I've know you for a long time. You're an honorable man. You always want to do the right thing. But I knew you weren't happy. And I couldn't stand by your side anymore, knowing you were in love with someone else. So yes, we got divorced for all of the reasons you said, but really, deep down, you knew it had to end because you didn't love me like that anymore."

Elliot looked down at the ground, not able to look her in the eye. He knew they had discussed this at Kathleen's birthday party, but it hadn't been discussed as the reason for their divorce. He shook his head; maybe it had been and he just hadn't been listening to what Kathy was trying to say at the time.

Kathy walked up and put a hand on his shoulder. "It's OK Elliot. We're going to be OK. It's just like I said. Even though I knew this was the inevitable conclusion, it's still just hurts. I'm adjusting and the kids will adjust too. There was no reason to keep going forward together…it was never going to work out."

Elliot looked back at Kathy and realized that she had known all along; had recognized what he'd refused to acknowledge. He wasn't one to go against his marriage vows and she knew he would fight to the end…and make everyone miserable in the process.

He reached out and pulled her into a hug. "I love you Kath." He said. He kissed her on the forehead and she pulled away, a sad look on her face.

"I love you too Elliot."

EOEOEOEO

When Elliot got back to Olivia's apartment, he heard the shower running. He dropped his keys on the counter and pulled a beer out of the refrigerator. This had been an incredibly stressful afternoon and he was emotionally drained.

He toed off his shoes and collapsed on the couch, putting his feet up on the coffee table and taking a long drink of his beer. He lay his head back on the couch and closed his eyes, going through the events with the kids and with Kathy. He sighed heavily. He wasn't going to dwell on it. The marriage had ended and he was happy now with Olivia. He could honestly say he had given it everything he had and it wasn't enough. He didn't regret anything.

"Tough day?" Olivia said and he jumped.

He had been so wrapped up in his thoughts, he hadn't heard her come into the room. He opened his eyes and turned his head to look at her. "Yeah. You could say that." He took another drink of his beer, draining it.

"Want to talk about it?" she asked, stepping over his legs and sitting next to him on the couch.

"Hmm. Not right now." The emotions of the day were still too close to the surface and he didn't trust that he wouldn't get too emotional. He didn't want her to feel any guilt about what had transpired. He looked over at her and could see the concern etched in her face. He put a hand on her knee. "It's fine Liv. I just don't feel up to rehashing the entire evening right now." He looked at her to see if she understood what he was trying to tell her.

"OK." She said quietly.

"Really Liv. It's going to be fine. Kathleen and Maureen are ecstatic. Liz and Dick just need a little time to get used to the idea. But they all love you. It's going to be fine. You have to trust me on this."

She gave him a small smile. "I do. I believe you." She said, and she meant it. She knew the Stabler children well, and she had expected that the twins might have some trouble with the news, especially because they were younger than their sisters. Olivia had been Elliot's partner since they were very small, and they probably didn't remember a time when she wasn't. So it would be very odd for them.

Elliot desperately wanted to change the subject. "Looks like you're feeling better." He said. Her normal coloring had returned and she looked refreshed after her shower. She was wearing pajama shorts and a t-shirt and had a hooded sweatshirt in her hands. Her hair was still damp and was curling as it framed her face, and she didn't have any makeup on. Elliot thought she looked absolutely beautiful.

"Much." She said, giving him a small smile.

"Did you have anything to eat?" he asked. He should have checked with her so he could have picked up something on the way home, but he hadn't been thinking clearly.

"Not really. But I don't think I'm feeling that much better. I'll probably just have some toast." She knew her stomach was still sensitive and she didn't want a repeat of last night. "And I'm going to bed early tonight."

Elliot smiled at her. "How about we go to bed now?" he asked.

"You have a one track mind El." She said, slapping him lightly in the arm.

"That's not what I meant." He said, his tone serious. "I'm just exhausted, and would love to just curl up in bed and watch a movie or something with you."

Olivia saw the look on his face and could tell he just needed some good old fashioned TLC. Dinner with the kids must have been harder than he was letting on. She was glad that she hadn't burdened him any more with what had transpired between her and Jack. Or rather…what Jack had done to her. She was going to talk it through with Casey tomorrow.

She reached for his hand and intertwined her fingers with his. "Let's go."

EOEOEOEO

Elliot and Olivia arrived at the precinct early the next morning. They'd both fallen asleep in the middle of the movie, so it couldn't have been much later than 9. So when they'd woken early, they decided to grab breakfast on the way in. As a result, they were wide awake and ready to go, unlike normal Monday mornings. It probably also helped that they hadn't worked all weekend.

Munch was already at his desk when they arrived. He looked at them over his glasses. "Did you have a good weekend children?" he asked, smiling at them.

Olivia smiled back at him. "Of course." She said, putting her stuff away and sitting down at her desk.

"Wasn't Casey's bachelorette party this weekend?" he asked, staring intently at Olivia.

"Yes…" Olivia said, not sure of his interest.

"Well? Tell me all the naughty details. Did you get up close and personal with some sexy male stripper? Was there some girl on girl action? I want details." He said, wiggling his eyebrows.

Olivia rolled her eyes. "You would never know you work in sex crimes. You've got a dirty mind. It wasn't like that. It was just a party. The whole wedding party was there."

"So it was like an orgy." Munch quipped. "Wish I was invited."

Olivia laughed. "You're ridiculous."

Olivia looked over at Elliot and saw he wasn't really paying attention to the interaction. He tuned Munch and Fin out most of the time, not really involving himself in the squad room banter unless he heard his or Olivia's name. She turned back to the stack on her desk and dug into her work.

After an hour or so, she heard her phone buzz and saw she had a text from Casey. She groaned because she remembered that Casey had sent her several messages the day before and she hadn't gotten back to her. Casey would certainly give her hell about that.

She answered the phone. "Benson."

Sure enough, Casey launched into a tirade about Olivia not returning her calls or messages and Olivia just let her rant. She apologized and then asked the ADA if she'd be visiting the precinct. When Casey told her she'd be over in a few hours, Olivia sighed.

"I need to talk to you." She said.

"Everything OK?" Casey asked, wariness in her tone.

"Let's just talk when you get here." She said, looking up and noticing that Elliot was watching her. She swung around in her chair, her back to Elliot. "I have to go. I'll see you in a few." She said, hanging up the phone. She looked over at Elliot and saw he had a questioning look on his face. She knew he wanted to ask her who was on the phone, but she didn't volunteer the information and he didn't ask her. She got up and poured herself another cup of coffee and went back to work.

EOEOEOEO

Casey didn't make an appearance until after lunch and Olivia had been getting a little nervous about telling her what happened at the club. When she finally saw her friend, she snagged her by the arm, anxious to get it over with. Plus, Elliot wasn't at his desk right now and she wanted to escape unnoticed.

"Let's go into one of the interrogation rooms." She said, heading in that direction.

Casey paused. They usually went to the upstairs break area to talk, so she was surprised that Olivia wanted to go to an interrogation room.

"What?" she said, stopping.

"I just want a little privacy." Olivia said, motioning for Casey to follow her.

They ended up in one of the smaller rooms and Olivia shut the door behind her. She motioned for Casey to sit down and Olivia sat down across from her.

"What's this about?" Casey asked, her suspicions raised.

Olivia took a deep breath. She had decided somewhere along the line that she needed to tell Casey what really happened and ask for her help in deciding what to do. Jack had assaulted her and part of her couldn't let him get away with it. But the other part of her just wanted to let it go…mostly because she didn't want anyone to find out that she couldn't protect herself and because she didn't want Elliot to go after him. And she knew he would. There was no question in her mind.

"Liv?" Casey said her name again, pulling her away from her thoughts and back to the conversation.

"Yeah." Liv responded, looking back at her friend. She bit her bottom lip. "Casey, you know that I consider you one of my best friends."

"Uh-oh. I don't like the sound of that." Casey said, giving Olivia a nervous smile.

"Just. Just let me get this out." Olivia said, looking down at the table momentarily. "I need to tell you something as a friend, not as an ADA. And then I need your help in deciding how to handle it. OK?" She looked at Casey, waiting for a response.

Casey furrowed her brow. "Like I said before, I don't like the sound of that."

"Casey. Just promise me that we'll decide how to handle this together and you won't go off half-cocked."

Casey reached her hand out to Olivia. "Now you're really worrying me Liv. Just tell me."

Olivia noticed that Casey hadn't promised her, but she forged ahead anyway. She had to tell her before she changed her mind. "It's about Jack."

Casey groaned. That fucker had made her life a living hell the past few months. She and Aaron had even had a couple of fights about him. She was questioning how Aaron could be friends with him and Aaron admitted that Jack had changed a lot in the past six months and they he didn't know what was up with him. They had been friends for a long time, and he had picked him to be his best man because of that, but also because he couldn't choose between his two twin brothers. But now they had both been questioning that decision…until the party. He'd been well behaved and they'd decided just to suck it up through the wedding and then slowly start to separate themselves from him.

"It seemed like he behaved himself at the party. He wasn't drinking, and Aaron asked Isaac to keep an eye on him. Did he say something to you?" she asked, leaning forward.

Olivia shook her head. "No. Well, I mean, yes. We got into a small argument at the table. He thought I was being too cozy with Isaac and accused me of dropping him for Isaac. And of thinking I was too good for him. He called me a cock tease and a bitch."

"He's such an asshole." Casey said, anger in her tone.

"Casey. I can deal with that. I get called a bitch at least once a week. That's not it."

Olivia rested her elbows on the table and dropped her face into her hands, rubbing at her forehead. She took another deep breath and forged ahead.

"I walked away from him and went to the ladies' room. And when I came out…" she hesitated, thinking back to what had happened. It had happened so fast. "He grabbed me and he pushed me up against the wall. He pinned me against the wall and was kissing me and then he…" She let out a breath. "He grabbed my breast and he was squeezing and then he…he put a hand between my legs and…" she stopped. "It happened so fast Casey. I didn't even react. I didn't fight back. Nothing. I just stood there and then he was gone. He looked at me and smiled and then told me he was leaving. And he left."

Casey had one hand over her mouth. "Oh my God Liv! That sick bastard." She stood up abruptly, pushing her chair back. "I'm going to castrate that son of a bitch."

"Casey. Please. Please sit down. We need to talk about this." Olivia pleaded.

"Talk about what? He _assaulted_ you Liv! What's there to talk about?" She slammed her fists on the table, leaning over towards Olivia. "What is it with his sick obsession with you?"

"Casey. _Please_." Olivia said. "I need you to talk to me."

Casey took a deep breath and sat down. "OK. I'm sorry." She looked back at her friend. "Are you OK? I mean, that was Saturday night. Why didn't you tell me when it happened? Or tell someone?"

Olivia shook her head. "A part of me just couldn't even process it. Like I said, it happened so fast. I was just glad he was gone. But I was thinking about it yesterday and it just….it pissed me off. And I needed to talk to someone about what happened and I didn't want it to be Elliot."

Casey got a puzzled look on her face. "You don't think he's going to find out when we arrest the bastard for assault?"

Olivia got a shocked expression on her face. "Arrest him? No. No Casey."

"What do you mean no? Of course we're going to arrest him." Casey looked at Olivia with confusion on her face. "He tried to rape you!"

Olivia sighed again. "Let's not make it into a big deal Casey. He didn't try to rape me. He just got…I don't even know what to call it."

"It's called sexual assault Liv." Casey said, her face like stone. "And he's going down for it."

Casey. No. I'm not going to press charges. I just want to use this as leverage to have him bow out of the wedding. And if he doesn't, then I'm going to. And I wanted you to understand why."

"I can't believe you're saying this. You're going to let him get away with sexually assaulting you?" She stood up and walked away and then turned back towards Olivia. "Who the hell _are_ you? What would you tell other victims?"

"Victim? I'm not a victim Casey. I had sex with him before, I'd been drinking. I didn't even fight him." Olivia shook her head. "I just want this to be over. I don't want to deal with him anymore. I want him out of my life and I never want to see him again." She stood up and paced back and forth. "God, if I wouldn't have made such a stupid, stupid mistake at your engagement party. I let him get into my head and use my feelings for Elliot against me and I made a bad decision. And now it's like I can't escape from this nightmare." She stopped in front of Casey. "I'm not pressing charges. I want you to tell Jack that you know and that if he ever comes within 20 feet of me ever again, he'll be arrested for assault. And then I want you and Aaron to decide what you want to do about the wedding." She leaned over on the table, towards Casey. "And I'm being honest when I tell you that if you decide you want Jack to be in the wedding, I'll understand."

"Liv. No way. You can't think we'd still want him in our wedding. I don't want him anywhere near us. And Aaron will agree." She stood up. "But I can't agree with your decision not to arrest him. We can't let him get away with that. What about the next woman he assaults?"

"I just don't want all of this to come out."

"Olivia. You know you didn't do anything wrong. And this bastard can't get away with this."

Olivia sat down hard in the chair. Her mind was all over the place. She knew that what Casey was saying was true; she had to think about other women he might potentially assault. The attack from Jack wasn't anything she couldn't deal with; in the whole scheme of things, he wasn't nearly as horrifying as the things she saw on a daily basis. She also knew that didn't matter. Assault was assault. But she really wanted to wipe her hands of Jack. She didn't want to see him again. Have to tell her story a million times. She didn't want Elliot to know and to go after Jack.

"Casey. If Elliot finds out about this, I'm worried about what he'll do. He already landed in jail once. If he finds out what Jack did…"

"Liv. Elliot's a big boy. We'll talk to him and make sure he knows that he can't touch him. That he'll end up in jail and we'll lose the case."

Olivia shook her head. "I don't know Casey. Can I think about it?"

Casey hesitated. She didn't want to give Olivia an out. But she was hoping that if she gave her a little space and some time to think, she might come to her senses. "Ok Liv. But I'm going to tell Aaron and we're going to talk to Jack. I'm going to tell him to stay the fuck away from you…and that he's out of the wedding and out of our lives." She looked back at Olivia and saw tears brimming on her lower lashes.

"Casey. I'm so sorry. I caused all of this."

Casey reached across the table and grabbed Olivia's hand. "No! Jack caused this. You didn't make him who he is." She shook her hand. "Are you listening to me? He did this. Tell me you understand that I don't blame you at all."

Olivia hesitated a second and she nodded. "OK. Thanks Casey. You're a good friend."

EOEOEOEO

Outside the interrogation room, Elliot turned the volume down on the speaker and headed back into the squad room.

_More to come my faithful readers. What did Elliot hear? And what's he going to do? What's Liv going to do? I'll update soon. I promise! If you want some other good stories to read while you're waiting, make sure you read writersrefinery (Semper Fi), poetif (The In-Betweens) , hargasm23 (Ripples) and lucythespencer (These Graces) plus all the other great fanfics out there! _


	51. Chapter 51

**From the end of the last chapter**

_Outside the interrogation room, Elliot turned the volume down on the speaker and headed back into the squad room._

EOEOEOEO

Earlier….

Elliot walked back into the squad room and saw Olivia and Casey headed back towards the interrogation rooms. He was puzzled, as there weren't any suspects in for questioning. Then he remembered that Olivia had told him she was going to talk to Casey about the wedding. He hesitated for a moment and then followed the path they had taken, pausing at the doorway leading into the area until he heard the door to one of the rooms close. He peeked around the corner, and confirming that they were already in one of the rooms, he walked into the outer vestibule. He walked down the row of windows until he found the room they were in.

He glanced over at the speaker and saw the volume had been turned all the way down. He reached out towards it, and hesitated again. He knew he shouldn't be eavesdropping on their conversation. Olivia would be livid if she found out. But he knew she was holding something back…something about Jack. And he just had to know. His jaw clenched as he fought his impulse to listen in…but he knew he couldn't stop himself. He reached over and turned up the volume slightly.

Olivia and Casey were sitting down, and Olivia was talking about the argument they had at the table. When Casey called him an asshole, Elliot nodded his head. No disagreement there. How could he think Olivia was dropping him for someone else? They never had a relationship for chrissakes.

He watched Olivia' body language and could see that there was something bigger that she had to get off her chest. He braced himself, waiting to hear what she was going to say. He knew he wasn't going to like it. When she started telling Casey about the assault outside the bathroom, Elliot felt his blood start to boil. And when she said "he put a hand between my legs", it was all he could do to control the rage he felt inside and not take it out on the filing cabinets next to him. He hands were balled into fists and he leaned against the window ledge, waiting to hear the rest.

When Olivia said he'd left, he stepped back, trying to calm his breathing. He wanted to pound that sick son of a bitch into a pulp. _How dare he_ _fucking touch her_. He thought he'd been pretty clear in his previous _conversations_ with Jack…apparently he didn't get the message.

He was drawn back to the conversation between Olivia and Casey when he heard his name mentioned. What had she said? He listened intently to see if he could figure out what he'd missed while he had been thinking about beating the shit out of Jack.

His mouth dropped open when he heard you say she wasn't going to press charges. _What the fuck?_ They were pressing charges. Nothing would please him more than to go to Jack's fancy office, put handcuffs on the bastard and haul his ass into the precinct. And Elliot was going to be front and center during that interrogation.

And then he heard the next part of the conversation and his stomach dropped. She wasn't going to press charges against Jack because of him? Because she didn't want him to know? Because she was worried about what he'd do? _Oh my God_. He felt physically ill. Olivia had been assaulted by this prick, and instead of worrying about herself, she was protecting him? She was trying to keep him from doing something stupid and landing in jail…losing his job… God, who was the asshole now?

He thought back to how he had handled the situation with Jack before. The outright rage and the physical assault. He'd been so furious. He had taken off after him even after Olivia had asked him not to do anything stupid. She had known then what he would do…what he was capable of. And then he thought about what Olivia had done to get him out of that jam. She'd had to share personal, intimate, embarrassing details of her encounter with Jack to their Captain. All to get him off the hook.

He shook his head. His anger had always gotten the best of him…it was his ultimate weakness. This fierce need to protect, but in such an ugly way. And with her…it was always ten times worse. She had dealt with his shit for seven long years, defending him, rescuing him…being the voice of reason. And at what cost?

She and Kathy had always talked about his anger issues and asked him to get help…but he never did. He never thought it was necessary. That's who he was. He had learned from the best…his dad. The bastard. He looked back into the room at Olivia, and could see she and Casey were still talking. But the only thing he could focus on was how Olivia was going to let this son of a bitch get away with this…and he was to blame.

He tried to turn his focus back to the conversation and he heard Casey telling her that she was going to talk to Aaron and to Jack. He could tell they were finishing up. His mind was racing, trying to think about what he should do. He had to talk to Olivia, but she was going to be incredibly angry that he listened in on their private conversation. But he needed her to know that he was there for her, and that they couldn't let Jack get away with his. He deserved her rage…he just hoped it didn't break things between them.

He turned down the volume on the speaker and headed back into the squad room.

He pretended to be busy as he picked a file up from the top of his desk as Olivia and Casey walked by. His mind was reeling, trying to figure out what he was going to do. There was still a large part of his brain that couldn't focus on anything except his desire to beat Jack Spencer to a bloody pulp. He took a deep breath and tried to squelch those thoughts.

He didn't look up, but saw Olivia's head turn towards him with his peripheral vision. She didn't say anything until he heard her say goodbye to Casey. She sat down at her desk and only then did he look up. But instead of seeing Olivia's face staring back at him, he had visions of her in that dress she was wearing Saturday night, pinned up against the wall with that bastards hands all over her. He swallowed hard.

"Everything OK?" Olivia asked, her voice sounding tired. She could read him like a book and he tried to relax his jaw and the muscles in his face. Even now, after what she'd just told Casey, she was worried about him.

He broke eye contact and looked back down at his desk. "Yep."

"El." He didn't look up. He heard the sound of her voice. She wasn't buying it.

He sat for a minute, trying to decide if he wanted to broach the subject with her…or if he wanted to talk to Casey. He decided it had to be Olivia. She wouldn't stand for him going behind her back. He let out a deep huff and looked up at Olivia to see her brows knit together as she watched him.

"I need to talk to you."

Olivia looked over towards Fin and Munch's desks, but they were both out. She looked towards the Captain's office and saw his door was closed. She wasn't sure what Elliot wanted to talk to her about because they had agreed to leave personal stuff out of the office.

She bit her bottom lip, considering him for a moment. She had told him that she was going to talk to Casey about the wedding, so maybe he just wanted an update on that. But seven years working with the man told her it was more than that. He was definitely upset about something.

"Fine." She said, standing up. "No one's around." She gestured with her hand, keeping her voice quiet. "What do you want to talk about?"

"How did your talk go with Casey?"

"Good. They're going to tell Jack he's out of the wedding." Olivia said, still watching Elliot's face.

Elliot rubbed his fingers across his chin. "Just like that." He said. It wasn't a question.

Olivia shrugged slightly. "Yeah, just like that. It was her decision."

"Hmm. That surprises me a little. Is there something you're not telling me?" he asked, dropping his hands on his desk and leaning forward slightly. He was giving her a chance to tell him what happened; he hoped she would take it.

Olivia cocked her head slightly, her eyes never leaving his. "I don't think so. That pretty much sums it up." She said.

Elliot was floored. She was lying right to his face and it really made him angry. They had agreed to be completely honest with each other, and he caught her in a lie. He knew why she was lying, but it made him wonder what else she had lied about.

He leaned back in his chair, trying not to let the anger show in his expression. "Liv. Are you sure you're not keeping something from me?" _Just tell me Liv. Please be honest with me_. He was begging her in his mind.

Olivia stood up. "Elliot. I'm not sure what you want me to say. Jack's out of the wedding and everything is good."

Elliot shook his head. He stood up, not breaking eye contact with her. "I don't think that's true. We need to talk some more."

Olivia look puzzled. She didn't know what he wanted to discuss in more detail. "Do you want to go up to the break room?"

Elliot stood up. "No." And then, in a move that he knew was going to be at great personal expense, he finished his sentence. "Cragen's office." He knew that in order to get her to press charges, he was going to have to take it out of her hands, and put it into Cragen's or Casey's. To make sure something was done about it.

"What?" he heard a nervous tremor in Olivia's voice. "What's this about?"

"You know damn well what this is about." Elliot said, steeling himself for her wrath.

Olivia stood there for a moment, unsure what was going on. There was no way he knew what happened. She and Casey were the only ones. _Fuck._ And Jack Spencer. A horrible thought hit her then. Had Jack pulled another shitty move, like he did by sending Elliot her underwear and using Casey's phone to text Elliot? Had he told him that something had happened? But that didn't make any sense…it only pointed blame at him. But the man was obviously imbalanced. What would he say to Elliot just to get him to lose it?

"Elliot." Olivia wanted to talk to him, privately, and find out what the hell this was about. But it was too late. Elliot was already knocking on Cragen's door. She heard the Captain yell for him to come in, and Elliot opened the door, motioning for her to join him.

"Cap'n. We need a few minutes of your time." She heard Elliot say and now she was really wondering what was happening. The Captain had already been involved in this whole mess with Jack and she really didn't need him to be involved any more. She stay rooted in place, unable to move. Elliot had walked into the office and she saw him poke his head back out. "Liv."

She tried to regain her composure. If Jack had said something to Elliot, she would blow it off; make sure they understood that it wasn't what they thought and get out of there as soon as possible. She was glad she had spoken to Casey, and that Casey was going to talk to Aaron and Jack. The sooner that jackass was out of the picture, the better. She took a deep breath and headed into Cragen's office.

When she got inside, Elliot shut the door behind them. She sat down, shifting uneasily in the chair as Elliot sat down in the chair next to her.

The Captain was leaning back in his chair, his fingers steepled in front of him. He had a wary look on his face, and it was clear he had no idea what was going on.

In reality, Captain Cragen was scared as hell about what he was going to hear from the two of them. He'd been expecting a scene just like this one for the past several years, as he'd seen his two best detectives get extraordinarily close. He braced himself, wondering what the hell he was going to do if these two had taken it to the next level. "What's up?" he asked, trying to sound casual.

"We need to talk to you about a sexual assault that took place." Elliot said. He looked straight at the Captain as he said it, not wanting to risk eye contact with Olivia, but he could feel her stiffen in the chair next to him.

The Captain got a confused look on his face, clearly not understanding what was going on. "I didn't get a call about an assault." He said, looking at the phone as if maybe somehow, he'd missed it.

"Yeah, well, it hasn't been reported yet. That's why I'm coming to you now." Elliot didn't dare look over at Olivia. He knew that she was furious with him right now. But he didn't care. This had to come out.

"OK." Cragen said warily. This was a strange conversation so far, and he felt like there was a huge piece of the conversation that he'd missed somehow. Cragen held up a hand. "Wait a minute. I don't understand what's going on here."

Elliot turned to Olivia and he could see the fire in her eyes and the hard set of her jaw as she glared back at him. "Liv." He gestured at her. "You want to tell fill us in?"

Olivia looked back and forth between Cragen and Elliot. She didn't know how he knew, but she was going to find out. And she was going to kill Elliot. That insufferable ego…thinking he always knew what was best for everyone. He was forcing her to tell Cragen, which would mean the decision about pressing charges were basically out of her hands. Sure, she could say she didn't want to press charges, but Cragen and Casey would force the issue. _Goddamn him_.

She glared at Elliot and then turned back to the Captain. She was going to make one last ditch effort to avoid this. "I don't know what Elliot's talking about." She said defiantly.

Cragen looked at Olivia and then over at Elliot. He could tell how agitated Elliot was…and he knew Olivia was lying. He looked back at her. "That's bullshit Olivia." He said.

Her shoulders sagged. That comment and his tone of voice meant she wasn't going to be able to get out of this.

"Did someone assault you?" he asked.

Olivia sighed. "Yes."

Cragen shook his head. "Were you…"

Olivia interrupted him. "I wasn't raped Captain. It wasn't even attempted rape. It was nothing. Everyone is overreacting." She looked over at Elliot pointedly.

Cragen put his hands down flat on the top of his desk. He was certain Olivia was making it sound a lot less serious than it was, but he was happy to hear that she hadn't been raped. He loved Olivia like a daughter, and continuously worried about her in this job.

"Tell you what. Why don't you let me be the judge of that. I need you to tell me exactly what happened and then we'll discuss next steps."

"Cap'n" Olivia tried to object.

"Liv. You don't have an option here." He was trying to be supportive, but he wanted to let her know that she was going to tell him what exactly had happened.

Olivia set her jaw, refusing to look at Elliot. "Fine." She said, her tone hard. "But I don't want Elliot here."

She could see Elliot in her peripheral vision and he opened his mouth as if to object but before he could say anything, Cragen spoke up.

"Fine. Elliot, you're dismissed."

Elliot hesitated a second and reached out towards Olivia, placing his hand on her upper arm. "Liv."

She pulled away. "Go Elliot." She was so angry with him right now that she didn't trust herself to even look at him.

He tried one more time. "Liv. I'm only trying to do the right thing here. He can't get away with this."

Olivia stared straight ahead, refusing to acknowledge him. Elliot looked back at Cragen, silently asking him to let him stay.

"Elliot. Go." He said, motioning towards the door.

Elliot stood up and kicked the chair out of the way as he made his way out of the office. He knew that Olivia was upset with him and he really wanted a chance to explain why he was doing this. He was looking out for her…but he was really nervous that she wouldn't understand. He needed to talk to her. He looked back at Cragen's office as he walked towards his desk. Based on her reaction, he didn't think he was going to be talking to her anytime soon.

He sat down at his desk and tried to focus on the paperwork in front of him, but he kept looking at his watch. Olivia had been in his office about 20 minutes when Cragen stuck his head out. Elliot started to stand up, assuming Cragen was going to call him in, but Cragen yelled for Fin instead. Fin stood up and walked into Cragen's office and Elliot sat back down.

Another half an hour passed and Elliot looked at his watch again. He saw it was almost 3 and he was getting impatient for them to finish up. He was desperate to talk to Olivia. He swiveled around in his chair when he heard the office door open. Fin was the first to exit. He headed for his desk and nodded at Munch. "Let's go." He said.

Munch stood up. "Where are we going?" he asked.

"We'll talk in the car." He said, heading out of the station house with Munch trailing behind.

Olivia came out of Cragen's office next. She walked by Elliot without looking at him. She opened her desk drawer, pulled out her purse and slammed the drawer shut. She turned to walk out of the squad room when Elliot jumped up out of his chair.

"Liv!" he said, but she didn't stop. He rushed after her as she headed for the elevator. "Liv!"

When she reached the elevator, she was forced to stop and Elliot caught up with her. He put a hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged it off.

"Liv. Talk to me."

Olivia spun around and glared at him. "Leave – me – alone." She hissed.

Elliot took a step back; he had expected her to be angry and upset but this was different. He'd never seen her like this.

"Olivia." Elliot said in a pleading tone.

The elevator doors opened and Olivia backed in, shaking her head. He could see tears on her lower lashes and his heart ached at the pain he saw there. "Olivia." He whispered. "I love you."

Olivia shook her head again, swiping at a tear that had escaped. "Don't." she said, so quietly, he almost didn't hear her. Then the elevator doors closed and she was gone.

_OK. Well, I didn't see that coming. Sometimes when I write these chapters, I'm surprised by what happens! Please leave a review to let me know what you think!_


	52. Chapter 52

_Wow! Love the response. A lot of people didn't see that coming. Thanks for all of the reviews. I love to hear from the readers…I really do! So whether or not you are crying, angry, frustrated or confused, please leave a review at the end. _

EOEOEOEOEO

"_Don't_"

The word swirled around in Elliot's brain as he watched the elevators doors close and she disappeared from view. He can't forget the look on her face. A mixture of sadness…anger…disappointment. So many emotions in those few seconds.

He honestly doesn't know what to do with that word. _Don't_. Don't follow her? Don't try to talk to her? Don't love her?

It doesn't really matter. He won't listen to her anyway and she has to know that. He couldn't stop loving her if he tried. He won't give up. He'll find her and straighten this mess out.

Elliot stabbed at this elevator button, intent on going after her when he hears Cragen bark his name. He turns and sees him in the doorway, beckoning him to come back into the squad room. He turns back towards the elevator; maybe if he ignores Cragen he can duck into the elevator. But the Captain isn't having any of it.

"Detective. In my office. That's an order."

Elliot scrubs his hands over his face. _Fuck_. He really needs to find Olivia. He needs to see her. He needs to hear her tell him that although she's angry with him, they'll get through it.

He hears Cragen bark his name again and he turns towards him and takes a few steps. "Captain. I need to find Olivia." He throws that out to him, hoping the Captain will understand and let him go.

Cragen's voice softens slight. "She doesn't want to see you Elliot." He says quietly and then finishes with "My office." He waits for Elliot to walk past him before he follows him into his office and closes the door.

Elliot paces back and forth while Cragen sits down in his chair. Cragen watches Elliot for a few minutes, and he can see the distress in the detectives face and in the way he's carrying his body.

"Elliot. Sit down." Elliot turns and just stares at him and Cragen knows Elliot's mind isn't on what's going on in this office.

Cragen motions for Elliot to sit down. "Sit."

Elliot huffs and sits down, staring at the Captain. He doesn't say a word and Elliot is getting pissed. He didn't want to sit in here and have a staring contest when he could be out trying to find Olivia. Finally the Captain spoke.

"Do you want to tell me what the hell is going on?" he asked.

Elliot paused. That was a really loaded question and he wasn't exactly sure what the Captain was referring to. He had already outed Olivia on the assault. He didn't want to tell him about their relationship too and really piss her off. Well, any more then he already had. Unless Olivia had already told him…_Shit_. He didn't know what to say.

"What are you talking about?" Elliot asked, deciding to play it safe.

Cragen sighed. He could tell the Detective was picking his words carefully.

"Did you witness the attack on Olivia?"

"No."

"Were you there when it happened?"

"No."

"Damn it Elliot. Are you going to offer up any information or just answer my questions with a yes or no?"

Elliot stared back at the Captain. "I can't give you information when I don't know what you're asking. I wasn't there Captain. I didn't see it happen. I just heard about it after." His tone was angry and he wanted to stand up and pace again, but he didn't.

"And so _you_ decided that Olivia needed to report it. When you didn't really know what happened."

Elliot paused for a second, wondering what the Captain was insinuating. Was he trying to tell him that Olivia said Jack didn't attack her, or that it was consensual? Because that was pure bullshit. He had heard Olivia tell Casey what happened, and it was not consensual. He narrowed his eyes. "What did Olivia tell you?"

Cragen put up a hand. "Don't worry Elliot. Olivia tried to minimize it after you left my office. But I could tell something had happened. And she knows that once the crime is reported, I am obligated to follow it through. So I had Fin come in and we took her statement."

"Did she tell you what happened?" he asked. Because he knew that when Olivia was telling Casey, she had most likely glossed over it, not wanting to hurt her friend. He was afraid that it went farther than what he'd heard.

"Yes, she did." Cragen said.

"Tell me." Elliot said and Cragen quickly shook his head.

"That's not going to happen. You'll have to get it from her." He said.

Elliot looked down at the desk. "She's not talking to me right now." he said. He looked up at the Captain. "I was just trying to do the right thing. After I heard what happened, I wanted to beat that guy to a bloody pulp but with the mess last time…I realized how selfish that was. And I heard her tell Casey that she wasn't going to report it because she was worried about what I would do." Elliot looked up at the Captain. "Can you believe that?"

The Captain nodded. "Yes, I can."

"I couldn't let her do that." Elliot said, fisting his hands. "I asked her to tell me what happened. I gave her a chance to tell me but she brushed it off." He stood up and started pacing again. "So I forced her hand." He shook his head. "And now she'll probably never talk to me again."

"Elliot, you two have been through a lot of shit over the years. You'll work through this."

"Yeah, but this is different…" he started to say more and then stopped. Cragen had no idea why this was different and he wasn't going to tell him.

The Captain opened his mouth to say something when his door burst open and Casey stormed in. "Sorry to interrupt but what the hell is going on?"

She stood there, looking back and forth between Cragen and Elliot. "I got a call letting me know that Jack Spencer is being brought in for questioning." She put a hand on her hip, continuing to look back and forth between the two. "I don't understand."

Elliot stood up. "What do you mean you don't understand? She _told _you what happened." He fumed at her.

Casey furrowed her brow. "Yes, but how do _you_ know?" She was genuinely confused because just an hour ago, Olivia had told her what happened and said she wanted to think about pressing charges. And she very definitely did NOT want Elliot to know. And now Fin and Munch were picking him up and bringing him in.

She stood there, waiting for an answer expectantly. "Well?" she asked. Elliot ducked his head down and Casey shook her head. "Oh God. You were listening in on our conversation? Our private conversation?"

Elliot didn't respond and Casey took that as confirmation. She shook her head again. "You're unbelievable. Don't you think that if Olivia wanted you to know, she would have told you?" She turned back towards Cragen. "OK. Well, I can't be involved because it's a conflict of interest, so the DA's going to bring someone else in to work this if it turns out we're going to formally arrest him."

She turned back to face Elliot. "Where's Olivia?" she asked. "I need to talk to her and see if she's all right."

Elliot pressed his lips together. "I don't know. She left."

Cragen jumped in. "She asked to take a couple of days off." He said and Elliot's brows knit together. Olivia never took time off.

"Fine. I'll call her." She turned to look at Elliot. "And you'd better figure out how you're going to get out of this one because if I know Olivia, she's beyond pissed at you right now."

She turned and walked out of Cragen's office and Elliot quickly turned to the Captain. "Can I go?" Cragen nodded and Elliot tore out after Casey.

"Casey!" he yelled as he saw her disappear into the hallway. She paused and waited for him to catch up. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

"I can't talk right now. I'm due in court in 30 minutes." She said, looking at her watch. She shook her head. "I can't believe you. What the hell were you thinking?"

"Listen. I know I fucked up. I just knew something was up and she wouldn't tell me. So when I saw you two talking…"

Casey shook her head. "Elliot. You had no right…"

"I know. But…

Casey put up a hand. "Elliot, I'm not the one you need to explain this to. And I don't have time for this right now. I have to get to court."

Elliot could hear the anger in her voice. She was upset with him too, and he sighed. "Casey, I'm afraid she won't talk to me. What if she won't talk to me? I can't bear it. I don't want to lose her over this."

Casey let out a deep breath and softened a little, knowing that he was truly in despair. "Elliot. Olivia loves you." She sighed. She didn't know what else to say, because she didn't want to make promises when she didn't know what the outcome was going to be. She groaned. "God, you guys just finally get your shit together after all these years and now…" She jabbed two fingers into his chest. "Fix this." She turned and headed towards the elevators.

EOEOEOEOEOEO

Olivia got to her apartment and threw her things on the counter. She opened the refrigerator and grabbed a beer, opening and taking a long drink. She walked into the living room and dropped onto the couch, taking another drink from her beer. She slammed the near empty bottle down on the coffee table and let out a loud groan of frustration.

_Goddamn fucking Elliot_. She was so extremely pissed at him. He must have eavesdropped on her conversation with Casey. How dare he. If she had wanted him to know, she would have told him. And then as if that wasn't bad enough, he forced her to report the assault to Cragen. It was her decision…not his. But he had taken the choice away from her. _That goddamn fucking ego of his._ Always assuming he knew what was best. Why? Why had he done that? She was so fucking mad right now because he had totally fucked everything up. They had finally gotten out of their own way after how many years of denial…and she had been happy for once in her life. And he just completely blew everything completely out of the water with his bullshit. She picked up her beer and drained the rest of it. _Goddamn it_. She pulled her hand back, throwing the beer bottle against the wall as hard as she could, listening with satisfaction as it shattered in a million pieces. Then she burst into tears.

EOEOEOEOEO

Elliot has asked Cragen if he could leave, and Cragen had told him to park it. Olivia had told Cragen that she didn't want to see Elliot, and while he knew they would have to talk soon, he wanted to give her some time to cool off. So he had told Elliot to stay put so Olivia could have the space she requested. He knew once it hit 5PM, he wouldn't be able to stop him, and that Elliot would make a beeline to see her.

It was almost 4 when Cragen came out of his office. "Elliot. My office."

Elliot groaned. He couldn't imagine what he wanted now. He got up and walked into Cragen's office and Cragen motioned for him to shut the door. Cragen considered him for a minute. "Elliot. Fin just called me and he and Munch are going to be here any minute. They're bringing Jack Spencer in and I need you to cool it."

"I want to talk to him."

"That's not going to happen. You are not going to come within twenty feet of him." Cragen narrowed his eyes and pointed a finger at him. "Do you hear me?"

Elliot scrubbed his hand across his mouth and lower jaw, trying to calm himself. "Cap'n. If I had wanted to hurt him, I would have done that after I heard what he'd done. But I _didn't_ go after him. I thought about it, but that didn't work out well last time."

Cragen seemed to consider what he was saying and Elliot took that opening.

"I'm not going to do anything to jeopardize this arrest. I want this bastard to pay for what he did to Olivia. Why would I risk messing that up?" He leaned over on Cragen's desk. "I wouldn't." He stood back up. "I just need to know. I need to know why he has such a hard-on for Olivia."

Cragen raised an eyebrow, as if that was a stupid statement.

"I know it started out as sexual attraction. I'm not stupid. But it's morphed into something else."

"He's not going to tell you."

Elliot shrugged. "Maybe he will. Part of me thinks he wants to gloat."

Cragen pointed a finger at him. "Don't make me regret this. And I'm going to be in there with you."

EOEOEOEOEOEO

Elliot and Cragen listened in while Fin and Munch questioned him.

Jack was leaning back in his chair, completely relaxed. He had a small smile on his face. "She told you that I assaulted her?" He shook his head. "That's ridiculous."

Fin leaned back in his chair. "Why don't you tell us what happened."

"We were at the club. She was drinking heavily. She came on to me and I told her I wasn't interested." He sat up and leaned in towards Fin. "You know that I've already slept with her right?"

Fin just shrugged. He knew of course…after the famous panty incident in the squad room.

"Well, anyway. I told her no and she didn't like that. She kept trying to get me to leave with her and when I told her no, she got really upset with me. I went to the bathroom, and when I came out, she was all over me. So I pushed her back against the wall and told her to leave me alone and that I was leaving."

"Hmm." Fin said noncommittally.

Munch was leaning against the wall. "You expect us to believe that?" he asked. "We're supposed to take your word over that of a decorated officer?"

Jack shrugged. "Hey, she was really drunk. And apparently really horny."

Fin opened up the file. "She remembers it differently." He said, pretending to read the report in front of him.

"Oh yeah? What did she say?" he asked.

Fin stared at him for a few seconds. "Says here that you grabbed her when she came out of the ladies room. That you pinned her to the wall, and then you kissed her. Then you grabbed her breast, squeezing. Then you released her breast and ran your hand up her inner thigh. You went under her dress and when you reached her underwear, you dipped your fingers underneath her underwear and stroked your fingers across her vaginal area. She said the tips of your fingers penetrated her slightly before you pulled your hand out and released her."

Jack's face darkened. "That's bullshit."

"That's what she said. You denying it?" Fin said.

Jack's jaw tightened. "Yeah, I'm denying it. That's not what happened."

"Yeah, well, we happen to believe her version of the story." Munch said. "You're screwed."

There was a rap on the window and Munch came out. He saw the Captain and Elliot standing outside the room and he shut the door. He could see Elliot's jaw was clenched.

Elliot had listened to the conversation in the interrogation room. He had heard what Olivia had told Casey, but the information in her official report was a lot worse. He couldn't believe Olivia had acted normally when he'd shown up at the club that night.

Cragen motioned to Munch. "We need ten minutes. I didn't hear him ask for a lawyer yet. Did I miss it?"

Munch shook his head. "Nope. He hasn't asked for one."

Cragen turned towards Elliot. "I don't have to tell you Elliot. You have to keep your shit together in there."

Elliot nodded. He reached for the doorknob and swung the door open, Cragen right behind him.

Jack looked up and smiled when he saw Elliot. He leaned back in his chair. "Well, well, well." He said. "Look who's here."

Fin stood up and looked over at Cragen, as if questioning the wisdom of letting Elliot in the room.

"Give us a minute." Said Cragen and Fin joined Munch outside the interrogation room. Cragen stood up against the door and Elliot sat down across from Jack.

"Are you going to beat the shit out of me again?" asked Jack, almost daring him.

Elliot shook his head. "No." His hands were on his knees and he was fisting and un-fisting his hands, out of sight of Jack.

"So…you here to thank me?" Jack said, a smile on his face.

"Thank you?" Elliot asked. "For harassing my partner?"

Jack rolled his eyes. "That's ridiculous. She fucked me at that party. I didn't force her. She dropped her panties so fast it would make your head spin."

Elliot wanted to defend her, but he knew that wouldn't get him anywhere. "That may be so…but she was drunk and you took advantage of the situation."

Jack laughed. "She knew what she was doing." He leaned in. "And man, does she have a sweet body. So fucking tight." He said in a low voice. He leaned back in his chair. "But I guess you know that for yourself."

Elliot didn't move a muscle and he didn't dare look over at Cragen. He didn't want him to know this prick was telling the truth about having slept with Olivia.

"We're not here to talk about me." He said, trying to deflect the conversation. "I'm wondering why you can't seem to leave my partner alone. She made a mistake and slept with you one time. Once. And now she doesn't want to have anything to do with you." He made a vague motion with his arm. "You have a million women throwing themselves at you. So why are you so obsessed with Olivia?"

"Hey, she's the one hitting on me all the time. Maybe you should talk to her." Jack looked away, as if he couldn't be bothered with this line of questioning. He turned back to Elliot suddenly. "Whatever she told you, she's lying. She's a lying whore that went from fucking me on the patio to jumping in your bed." He slammed his hand on the table and leaned in. "You should be fucking thanking me. You were looking at her like she was dinner and it wasn't until she fucked me at the party that you decided to get a piece for yourself."

Elliot's jaw clenched and he made a move to stand up, but Cragen was there and put a hand on his shoulder. "We're done here." He said, letting Elliot know that the conversation was over. The door opened and Fin and Munch came in. Fin pulled out his handcuffs.

"Jack Spencer. You're under arrest for sexual assault…"

_Please leave a review. I love, love, love to hear from you and that motivates me to write another chapter!_


	53. Chapter 53

Olivia woke up to the sound of knocking. She opened her eyes, feeling a little disoriented. She was lying on the couch, daylight was still streaming through the windows, and it took her a second to really wake up. She sat up slightly, and heard knocking on the door. She looked at her watch and saw it was a little after 5. She saw the broken glass lying on the floor, and everything came rushing back. She remembered lying down on the couch, crying. She remembered being so angry at Elliot…and that anger morphing into a sense of despondency about this entire situation. She heard knocking again, persistent but not loud, and she knew instantly that it wasn't Elliot.

She swung her legs off the couch and ran her fingers through her hair. She walked to the door and put one eye up to the peephole. She saw Casey standing there and she quickly opened the door.

"Casey." She said, standing her ground by the door.

"Can I come in?" she asked, starting to walk in, giving Olivia no option but to step aside.

"I guess." Olivia said, closing the door behind her. "Can I get you anything?"

"Got any wine?" Casey asked, dropping her bag on the floor and collapsing into an oversized chair next to the couch.

"Hmm. No. The best I can do is beer." She said, plucking two bottles from the refrigerator and opening them. She walked into the living room and handed one to Casey before she plopped down on the couch. She pulled one leg underneath her and the other was planted on the floor.

Casey motioned towards the broken glass on the floor. "What happened there?"

Olivia shook her head. "I wasn't in a good mood when I got home this afternoon."

Casey raised an eyebrow. "I can imagine." She took a swig of her beer. "Want to talk about it?" she asked, knowing there was a 50/50 chance Olivia would open up to her.

Olivia sighed and shook her head. "Not really."

Casey opened her mouth, wanting to tell her friend that it would be better to get it off her chest, but was surprised when Olivia chimed up again.

"I don't know Casey. I'm so confused." She ran a hand through her hair. "I'm so upset with Elliot right now. I don't want to talk to him and I don't want to see him. I have so much anger and I don't know what to do with it and I'm afraid that when I see him, I'll seriously lose my shit. But there's a part of me that wants to see him and wants to talk to him. I'm so afraid that if I don't see him or talk to him soon…that we won't be able to fix this. But after the stunt he pulled, I'm not sure I want to fix this. I mean, I do. But…" She ran her hands through her hair. "This is why I suck at relationships Casey. If things get too tough, I just break it off. I've never have to deal with shit like this…"

Casey hesitated a beat and then smirked at Olivia. "So I guess you _do_ want to talk about it." She'd said it to try to relieve the tension in the room, but felt bad as soon as she'd said it.

Olivia stared at her for a second, and then she started laughing. She laughed hard and uncontrollably, struggling to hold it in but she couldn't seem to stop it. Soon, Casey was laughing too, both releasing all of the stress of the day. They both stopped suddenly, and Olivia felt like crying again.

She shook her head, willing away the tears. This was not her. She did not cry. She thought back to the session earlier on the couch, when she hadn't been able to stop.

"This isn't funny." She said, picking up her beer bottle and taking a long drink from it.

Casey sobered up. "No. It's not Liv." She sat and looked at Olivia. She had known Olivia for a long time, and she considered them close, but she knew she couldn't push her to talk. Olivia was fiercely independent. She never wanted to show any sign of weakness; never wanted to need anyone. She didn't want anyone to think she couldn't do her job or take care of herself. She sighed because she didn't know how to tell her friend that it was OK to lean on somebody sometimes…that she wasn't going to think less of her.

"So…" Casey started.

Olivia was holding her beer bottle in her hand, picking at the label. "Yeah…"

"So. You gave a statement?"

Olivia nodded. "I didn't have much of a choice. Once Elliot dragged me into Cragen's office, I wasn't going to be able to get out of it. If I hadn't told him then Elliot would have."

"Liv. Jack assaulted you. Don't you think you should press charges?"

Olivia looked up at her sharply. "I told you that I wanted to think about it."

Casey leaned over and placed a hand on Olivia's knee. "Liv. If someone was assaulted the same way you were, what would you tell them to do?"

"It's not the same thing Casey."

"It's exactly the same thing Olivia."

Olivia didn't miss the fact that Casey had used her full name. "If this goes to trial, it's never going to stick. I slept with him before. I was wearing a revealing dress and I was drunk. It's a he said, she said case and I'm not going to win. The only thing that's going to happen is everyone is going to hear every sordid detail, he'll be acquitted, and everyone will think I can't take care of myself. A sex crimes detective that gets sexually assaulted."

Casey stood up. "Do you even hear yourself right now?" Her voice was laced with anger. "Because you're a sex crimes detective, the same rules don't apply to you? You can't get assaulted? Liv, no one thinks like that. No one thinks less of you." She shook her head. "In fact, I'd lose a hell of a lot of respect for you if you _didn't _report it and see this through."

Olivia stood up and tried to brush past her. "I don't need a lecture from you." She said. But Casey grabbed her by the shoulder. "Liv. He may get off. I don't disagree. You never know what a jury will do. They shouldn't care about the fact that you slept with him before or any of that other stuff. But at least he knows that he can't get away with this."

Olivia turned back towards her and Casey's hand squeezed her shoulder. "No one should get away with this and you know it."

Olivia dropped her head. "I know." She whispered. "I know." She walked back over to the couch and lay her head back. "The truth is, I wanted some time to think about it. But I know that's where I would have ended up. I just had to have some time to figure out how this would all play out. But then Elliot took the decision right out of my hands."

"He listened in on our conversation you know." Casey said, not wanting to stoke Olivia's anger any more, but wanting her to know the truth.

Olivia sighed, lifted her head and just looked at her hands in her lap. "That's almost a relief. I was worried that Jack had pulled some other stunt. At least he only heard what I told you."

Casey furrowed her brow. "What do you mean, what you told me? You mean you didn't tell me everything?"

Olivia looked back at Casey. "No. I did. Mostly. I just had to give a little more detail in my statement to Fin."

Casey pondered that for a minute but decided not to press for more details. It wasn't important. "Liv. I know you're mad at how Elliot handled things, but really, were you planning on keeping this from him?"

Olivia pressed her lips together. "Yes. I was. You know how jealous and overprotective he is. He landed in jail last time. I can't imagine what he would have done when he found out about this."

"But Liv. He _did_ find out. And he _didn't_ go after Jack."

Olivia let that thought sink in, blinking a couple of times, trying to process what Casey said. She was right. Elliot had overheard their conversation but he hadn't gone after Jack. "I don't know."

"You don't know what?"

"I don't know anything. This whole thing is such a mess. That's why I can't stop trying to process all of this. I have so many emotions and so many thoughts…I just can't wrap my head around it. I can't sort it all out." She shook her head. "And all because I was a little drunk and very horny at your engagement party. If I wouldn't have slept with Jack, all of this never would have happened."

"Liv. Everyone has a few things they regret in their life."

Olivia didn't respond but picked up her beer and took another sip.

"Liv. I may be out of line here, but I want you to think about something. If you hadn't slept with Jack, and if he hadn't told Elliot what happened, do you think you and Elliot would be together right now? I feel like that was some kind of catalyst."

Olivia shook her head. Casey was right. The events with Jack had propelled things forward. But she hated the fact that Jack was the one that had set things in motion. It felt like it tainted her relationship with Elliot; to have started with something so horrible.

"Liv. Stop overthinking it. I can tell what you're thinking and it doesn't matter. You and Elliot have been tripping over your feelings for each other for years. It was going to take some kind of event to change things…it doesn't really matter what it was."

Olivia ran her hands through her hair. "I know you're right. I just wish…"

"Stop it." Said Casey. "Just stop it. It doesn't matter. You just need to talk to Elliot and get this thing straightened out."

Olivia shook her head. "I'm not ready to talk to him yet."

"Liv."

"I'm just not ready yet. I just need a little bit more time."

"The longer you let it go…"

"I know Case! Just…a few hours. I just need to get my shit together."

"OK Liv. How about we grab some dinner? I bet you haven't eaten today and I'm hungry. Maybe then you'll feel better."

Olivia nodded. "I could go for that." She said as she stood up. She needed something to distract her from the events of the day.

Casey stood up too. "Liv. Promise me you won't wait for too long to talk to Elliot. He looked so miserable at the precinct today."

Olivia sighed. She could only imagine Elliot in the squad room today. "Promise." She walked towards her bedroom. "Just give me a chance to freshen up and then we'll go." She detoured to the kitchen and snagged her phone before she went into her room. She saw she had five text messages…all from Elliot. When she got to her bedroom, she sat down and opened them up to read them, sighing heavily.

"_Call me ASAP."_

"_Please call me. I need to talk to you."_

"_Please call me so I can explain."_

"_I need to know you're OK."_

"_Can I come over to talk? Please call me."_

She knew she should answer him and just ask him to give her some space, but she wasn't quite ready to initiate a conversation. She knew as soon as she texted him back, he'd call.

She saw she also had a missed call and a message from Fin. She pulled it up to listen.

"_Liv. It's Fin. I just wanted to let you know that we brought Jack Spencer in and got his statement. He's denyin' the whole thing, but according to the DA, we had enough to arrest him. He's getting processed now. Well…I just wanted to let ya' know. So…ya' know. Call me back if ya' want."_

She snapped her phone shut and walked back out into the living room where Casey was waiting.

"They arrested Jack."

"I figured they would." Casey said. She could sense Olivia's discomfort. "It's fine Liv. Don't worry about me and Aaron. We don't know what's gotten into Jack, but we don't want to be friends with someone like that anyway."

Olivia nodded. "I'm still sorry. But OK. Let's go."

EOEOEOEOEO

Elliot looked at his watch and saw it was almost 5. He checked his phone, but didn't have any return texts or calls from Olivia, despite the fact that he had sent several messages. He really wanted to talk to her. She needed to understand why he'd done what he'd done. He knew she was pissed, but she wasn't completely innocent in this entire mess either. She had lied to him…and he had given her several chances to come clean. This wasn't all on him. He let out another heavy sigh and looked at his watch again. _Fuck it_. He was done here. He was going to go to her apartment and they were going to resolve this.

EOEOEOEOEOEO

Olivia and Casey ate at a local Greek restaurant they both loved, and they tried to avoid talking about Jack or Elliot. They mostly discussed the upcoming wedding, trying to keep themselves distracted with the details. It worked for the most part, and Olivia felt a lot calmer as they left the restaurant. Casey asked Olivia if she wanted her to come back with her to her apartment, but Olivia said it wasn't necessary. Casey gave her a hug, and hailed a cab as Olivia headed off towards home on foot.

Olivia let herself into her apartment and startled when she saw Elliot sitting on her couch. She pulled the keys out of the lock as she pushed the door the rest of way open, and Elliot stood up. She didn't say anything as she dropped her keys and phone on the small table in the entryway.

She swallowed hard because right now, her emotions were still all over the place. Part of her wanted to throw herself into his arms and have him tell her that everything was going to be OK. But the other part of her wanted to walk over and slap him and ask him what the hell he was thinking. She went with anger, because it was the norm for them; she could handle anger.

"I see you just let yourself in." she said and there was no way Elliot would miss the anger in her tone.

Elliot shrugged. "If you aren't going to return my messages. Plus, I live here now." His tone was even. He wasn't sure what way this was going to go with her. But he knew they both had enough anger built up and he didn't want this to escalate into something ugly.

"You what?" She took a few steps towards him, shaking her head. "You don't live here."

"This is what you want to debate right now?" he asked and she paused. But it only took less than half a minute for her to fire back.

"I don't want to debate anything right now." She turned towards the bedroom. "I'm going to bed."

"Liv. It's 730 at night."

She turned to face him. "Oh, I'm sorry. Are you in charge of deciding when I go to bed too?"

Elliot scrubbed his hand over his face. He knew she was referring to the way he forced her to report her assault. "Liv…"

"Elliot." She said, and he knew she was letting him know how angry she was by using his full name.

"God, I just want to talk to you." He said, the tone of his voice escalating. "Can you please stop with the angry, wounded martyr routine?"

Her jaw dropped open slightly. She couldn't believe he had said that to her. "Well Elliot, you're the one that made me a victim." She shot back.

"I made you a victim? I can't believe you right now. Jack Spencer is the one that assaulted you…why don't you save some of that anger for him instead of directing it at me? I'm the one that's trying to help you!" He yelled. He fisted his hands and took a few steps toward her. He punched the air with his hands. "And I don't even know why because you fucking _lied_ to me about it."

He took another few steps towards her until he was only a foot away, and Olivia unconsciously took a step back as he continued to rant at her.

"What happened to complete honesty Olivia? You told me to trust you. We promised to be honest with each other. And then I find out that you lied to me! About an assault no less!"

Olivia opened her mouth but nothing came out.

"You can't possibly believe that it's OK to keep something like this from me! Secrets like that ruin relationships Olivia."

Olivia's mind was racing because she was the one that was angry. She was the one that had been forced to report her assault. Elliot was the one in the wrong, making the decision for her. And yet, here he was, yelling at _her_. She looked up at him and realized he had stopped yelling and was just staring at her.

"Well?" He said, his breathing heavy and the frustration thick in the room. He looked at her expectantly.

"You son of a bitch." She shot back. "You're yelling at me? I was the one that was assaulted…not you!" She took a step towards him, and poked him in the chest with her fingers. "You don't get to make decisions for me. You had no right…"

Elliot grabbed her hand and pushed her back slightly, causing her to stumble slightly because she wasn't prepared for it.

"Damn right I made the decision. I made it because the only reason you weren't going to report it was because you were afraid of what I was going to do!"

He closed his eyes, willing himself to calm down. He lowered his voice. He opened his eyes and looked at her, standing there with anger flashing in her eyes. "Olivia." He held up his hands, as if in defense. "Olivia. I couldn't stand the thought that you were assaulted. I wanted to beat the shit out Jack. I really did. It's all I could think about. But then when I heard you say that you weren't going to report it because you didn't want me to do something stupid…that broke my heart Liv. And I realized what my jealous, asinine behavior has cost you." He kept his eyes trained on her, watching for any softening of her demeanor. He didn't see any, but she was listening.

"When you came out of interrogation…I tried to talk to you. I asked you outright if you had anything else to tell me." He saw Olivia swallow hard, and knew she was recalling the conversation in the squad room. "You lied to my face Olivia. Twice." Her eyes dropped momentarily, but flicked back up as he kept talking. "So I know I shouldn't have listened in on your conversation, and I know that dragging you into Cragen's office wasn't probably the best choice, but I'm not the only one at fault here. If you would have just told me what happened, we could have figured it out together."

Olivia's body sagged then and she leaned against the wall behind her. She was suddenly so tired, and the fight was gone.

"I just didn't want that bastard to get away with hurting you."

"It was my decision Elliot." She whispered. "Not yours."

"You lied to me Olivia." Frustration and disappointment apparent in his voice.

Olivia hesitated. "So…you're done with me? That's it?"

Elliot eyebrows knit together. "What?" He was trying to comprehend what she'd said. He ran a hand over his face. "What?"

Olivia straightened up. "If you can't trust your partner…"

"God Olivia. Just stop. I never said I was done with you. Couples fight. We're having an argument but we'll get through it. I just need you to listen to what I'm saying." He reached out to put a hand on her shoulder but she dodged him, stepping around him and walking back towards the living room. He took a few long strides and snagged her arm, turning her back towards him. 'I just need you to understand that you can't lie to me. We promised to be honest with each other, and that includes sharing important information with each other. No matter what you think the consequences are. You don't need to protect me Liv. We're got to lean on each other and work through things together. I know that in the past, my anger has been a problem…but I'm trying. But you have to meet me halfway."

Olivia furrowed her brow and pulled her arm out of his grasp. She looked down, not wanting to meet his eyes. "Part of me was afraid of what you'd do to Jack. But Elliot, a big part of me just didn't want you to know. I was embarrassed and ashamed. I shouldn't have let him get near me again…I should have been able to stop him. I just froze. I didn't say anything or even try to push him off me. All of my training just went right out the door. I didn't want everyone to be disappointed in me, or think I couldn't take care of myself or do my job."

"Liv. You know that no one would ever think that. You now it's not your fault. How many people have told you the same thing and you wouldn't let them get away with that."

"It's different when it's you." Olivia said and Elliot's heart broke a little when she said it.

He stepped towards her and put a hand beneath her chin. "Olivia, look at me." She looked up and stared at him, her eyes moving back and forth between his. "I'm sorry that I forced you to report this the way I did. But I'm not sorry that the truth came out, or that Jack Spencer is under arrest for assaulting you." He placed his hands on her shoulders.

Olivia stared back at him. She could count on one hand the number of times Elliot had apologized for anything during their partnership. Maybe he really was trying to change. "I should have told you the truth." Olivia said. "I'm sorry." She pulled away. "I suck at this Elliot. I don't do well with this kind of shit. This is usually where I break up with the guy."

Elliot snagged her arm. "You're not getting rid of me Liv. We're going to fight…but we'll always work through it. You don't have to be afraid of being honest with me and you don't have to worry that you're going to scare me off." He pulled her towards him, fighting her resistance. "So are we done with the drama? Can we agree that we're both at fault here?"

"This isn't over with Jack. I still have to live with what you did." Olivia said, a little bit of stubbornness left.

"I know. But you know it was the right thing to do and we'll get through it together. OK?"

He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her even closer, so her body was almost flush with his. "OK?"

She softened in his grasp slightly. "You're just going to forgive me for lying to you?"

"Are you going to forgive me for eavesdropping and forcing you to report it?"

Olivia sighed. "I'm still a little angry."

Elliot smiled because she didn't sound very angry. He leaned over and kissed her forehead gently. "If you don't forgive me Liv, we can't get to the best part of fighting."

Olivia looked confused. "What?"

"The make-up sex Liv. That's the best part. We have to work off all that leftover anger and frustration."

Olivia shook her head. "Is that why our fights lasted so long when we were just partners? There was no make-up sex to get rid of the residual anger?"

"I believe that's probably true." Elliot said laughing. "I hadn't thought of that. But that probably explains a lot." He threaded a hand through her hair and leaned in to kiss her.


	54. Chapter 54

_**It seems like some people are upset that there weren't more fireworks but I'm glad they made up. This chapter is for lillybug991, who asked me very nicely in IG to please update NOW. I promised an update at midnight, and I'm pretty darn close! Now, where were we?**_

EOEOEOEOEO

Elliot leaned in and kissed Olivia gently, cradling her head with his hand. He felt her soften a little more in his arms and he smiled against her mouth.

"So…you _have_ forgiven me." He whispered against her lips.

Olivia pulled her lips away from his. "Not completely."

"What does that mean?" he asked, pulling her lower body against his and sliding his hands down, massaging her ass.

Olivia ran her tongue along her lower lip and raised an eyebrow. "It means that I'm in charge…you have to do whatever I say."

Elliot got a big grin on his face. "Well, normally I would object since I'm not the only one in trouble here, but I don't see a downside."

He leaned in to give her another kiss, but Olivia put a hand up between them, effectively cutting him off. She shook her head and pulled out of his grasp. She slid her hands down his arms until she held his hands in hers, and she started walking towards the bedroom, pulling him along with her.

"Remember…you do what _I_ say." She said in a low, husky voice, and Elliot felt a small shudder run through his body…the timbre of her voice and that look in her eye could do that to him.

Olivia kept pulling him into the bedroom until she reached the bed. She dropped his hands, and stepped back, sitting on the edge of the bed, leaving Elliot was just a few feet away.

She licked her lips and eyed him up and down. "OK Stabler. Take them off." She said, pointing to his pants.

Elliot grinned. "I think I'm going to like this game."

Olivia raised an eyebrow at him. "Did I say you could talk?"

Elliot started to laugh a little. When she said she was in charge…she meant it. "I always thought you'd be bossy in the bedroom." He said. "I just haven't seen too much of it yet." He pulled his belt from his pants and unbuttoned and unzipped his pants, dropping them to the ground quickly.

Olivia bit her bottom lip when she saw his semi in his black boxer briefs. Her eyes flicked up to Elliot's and she saw him watching her. "Now…your shirt." Elliot complied, and Olivia's eyes traveled over his chest and his forearms. She was always amazed at his size…the strength she knew he possessed. She swallowed hard, thinking about his body caging hers. She stood up and closed the gap between them, and ran her hands down his arms, squeezing his biceps before she trailed them down his chest. Elliot's hands reached for her, but she swatted them away.

"No. You don't get to touch me." She said, and Elliot groaned lightly. She continued to run her hands back and forth across his chest until she started to lower herself down to her knees, trailing her fingers down his abdomen and brushing across the bulge in his shorts.

Elliot swallowed hard. Olivia had tried this before…but he hadn't let her. There was too much need built up and he hadn't wanted it to end in her hand or her mouth. He didn't know if he could bear it if she took him in her mouth. He waited to see what she was going to do.

He could feel her warm breath against his erection as she moved closer, her hands poised to pull down his boxers, and he was so hard. He reached down and ran his fingers into her hair. "Liv" he rasped out. "I don't think…" Before he could finish the sentence, she had run her tongue down his length through his boxers and he jolted at the sensation. God…he wasn't going to be able to take it when it was tongue on skin. "Liv…" he started again, trying to tug at her hair. Part of him wanted that sexy mouth on him…he had definitely had dreams about that. But in reality, he didn't know if he could take it.

"Elliot. Shut up." She said, swatting his hand away. She stood up suddenly, startling him as she grabbed him by the hips and turned him around, pushing him back onto the bed. His legs were left dangling over the edge, and she swiftly hooked her hands in his boxers and pulled them down, freeing his erection.

She was back down on her knees and Elliot sat up, grabbing her face. "Liv. You don't have to…"

Olivia pulled his hands off her face and narrowed her eyes. "I swear to God Elliot. If you interrupt me one more time, I'm not going to have sex with you for a month."

Elliot released her and watched as she licked her lips. He closed his eyes as he saw her move towards him and his entire body jolted as she ran her tongue up the length of him. He groaned loudly. "Jesus Liv." She circled his tip with her tongue before running it across the top, spreading the pre-cum that had accumulated there. She placed a hand at the bottom of his shaft and squeezed lightly as she ran her tongue down his length again. He shuddered, trying not to buck up against her, and he felt Olivia smile against him. She ran her tongue back up to the tip and Elliot hissed. He could feel her breath as she opened her mouth, hovering over him, and he tried to prepare himself. But when he felt her lips smooth over the tip as she took him in her mouth, he wanted to come right then and there. Her mouth was warm and her lips were smooth and she was applying just the right amount of pressure and he didn't know if he was going to be able to stand it. He moaned as she slid her mouth down the length of him.

He opened his eyes and watched her as she took him in, and then as slid her mouth back up his shaft. Between the pressure of her hand and the lips and tongue, he thought he'd die from the sensation. "Fuck Olivia." He hissed again as she smoothed down his shaft again. She continued sucking and teasing with her tongue, building momentum as she moved up and down his shaft and he fisting his hands, trying to maintain some semblance of control. He was moaning loudly and couldn't to stop as the pleasure coursed through him. He was losing quickly losing the battle and he couldn't stop himself from thrusting up into her mouth as she sunk down on him and he knew he was just moments from coming. He grabbed her head and pulled her off him just as he came and there was an audible pop as she released him. "Jesus fucking…" he couldn't even finish the thought because she had replaced her mouth with her hand and was grasping him in her fist and working it up and down as waves of pleasure coursed through him and he fell back on the bed as this last of his orgasm ran through him.

He opened his eyes and saw Olivia standing between his legs, watching him. He saw pure lust in her eyes, but also a little bit of anger.

"What did you do that?" she asked, her hands on her hips.

"What?" Elliot was confused. "I couldn't help it Liv. Jeez…your mouth and your tongue. I couldn't stop it."

"Not that." She climbed up on the bed, hovering over him on all fours. "I wanted to taste you." She said and despite just having had a release, he could feel his desire low in his belly. She dropped her mouth on his and drove her tongue into his mouth and he moaned as her tongue swiped his. She pulled back and sat back on her knees, careful not to make contact with his body. "I thought I made it clear that you're not in charge." She gave him a sexy smile and backed off the bed until she was standing between his legs again. She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and bit down on her bottom lip, her eyes narrowing.

"Come here." Elliot rasped, desperate to get his hands on her. He wanted to get her clothes _off_…he wanted his hands and mouth on her breasts, her ass, between her legs. He started to sit up, reaching for her. "Liv."

She took a step back, causing him to miss and let out a groan of frustration. "Patience Elliot." She said, taking a few steps back. "Patience." She ran her hands through hair.

"Liv. You're killing me. I'm laying here naked and you have all your clothes on."

"Lucky me." She said, giving him a mischievous smile. "I'll be right back." She turned away from him, but Elliot was at the end of his rope. He lunged forward and snagged her belt, pulling her back towards him.

Olivia let out a small shriek. "El!"

"I'm done waiting Liv." He pulled her onto the bed and climbed over her body, straddling her hips. He pinned her hands up next to her head and crashed his lips on hers. Olivia pushed against him, trying to free herself but Elliot was attacking her mouth - tongue and teeth and lips ravaging her mouth. She managed to pull her mouth away from his. "El." She rasped. Elliot dropped down and trailed his tongue down her neck, hitting her pulse point and sucking there.

Elliot felt her body relax as she quit fighting him, and he released her hands. She wrapped them around him and trailed her fingers down his back. "I'm supposed to be in charge." She moaned as he trailed his tongue down and over the swell of her breasts.

Elliot pulled his mouth from her skin for a moment. "You're turn is over." He looked up at her. "It's my turn now." He sat back slightly and grabbed the hem of her shirt, pulling it up and over her head. He smiled when he saw the white satin bra, her breasts straining against the fabric. He reached up, cupping her breasts and squeezing gently. "God Liv. Did I ever tell you how much I love your breasts?" He leaned over, and buried his face in her cleavage, continuing to massage them as he trailed his tongue back and forth across the fullness and then biting lightly at her taut nipples through the fabric. Olivia moaned as he continued to run his tongue back and forth and her hips pushed up into him as he straddled her.

He trailed his tongue down her ribcage and her stomach, moving his body down hers until he was straddling her knees. He latched on to her belt buckle and pulled it open, unbuttoning and unzipping her jeans. He tugged them down over her hips and pushed them down to her knees, smiling when he saw her small white satin panties. His eyes roved from her panties back up her stomach and over her breasts until he met her eyes. She saw her watching him…and Elliot could see the want in her eyes. She reached up and cupped her own breasts, squeezing and massaging them as he watched. Watching her hit him hard between the legs and he pushed her jeans down her legs. "Liv. You drive me crazy." He crawled back over her, grabbing her hands from her breasts. He grabbed her bra strap and tugged it down her arm, revealing her taut nipple and his mouth was on her as he ground his lower half into her. He pulled his hips back slightly and lined himself up with her core, rocking into her.

"Ugh…" Olivia moaned as he penetrated her slightly through her underwear. He kept licking and teasing her nipple and Olivia pushed her hips up against him, and his hard member continued to push against her center. He reached up and pulled down her other bra strap and moved to lick and tease that breast while his hand continued to massage the other.

Olivia pushed off her jeans that were still stuck on one ankle, and wrapped her legs around the back of his thighs, pushing him harder against her. "Fuck El." She moaned. "That feels so…gah.." Words were lost as she closed her eyes and Elliot moved down her body. He felt her tense in anticipation as he buried himself between her thighs, throwing her legs over his shoulders. He trailed his tongue up her inner thigh.

He reached up and trailed his finger along the seam of her underwear while he continued to place small, open mouthed kisses on her inner thigh. He dipped his finger beneath and felt the liquid pooled there. "Jesus Liv." He traced his fingers between her folds, spreading her wetness and brushing over her clit. Olivia gasped and he flicked across her clit a couple more times before he pulled his fingers out of her underwear completely. He opened his mouth and placed it over her mound and Olivia pushed up against his mouth, gasping.

"El…I can't. I need you..now." She tried to prop herself up, trying to grab at him, but he evaded her. He grasped her underwear and started tugging them down her hips, when he suddenly stopped.

"Don't stop Elliot." Olivia whispered, her voice thick.

"Do you hear that?" he asked.

"Fuck Elliot. Are you kidding me?" she gasped, lifting herself up on her elbows.

"Listen." He said, moving off her body. "That's Cragen"

Olivia could hear the cell phone ringing now. It was coming from the living room. Elliot was completely off the bed now and then he was out of the room.

Olivia slapped her hands against the bed. "Fuck!" She was aching with need; she needed release now. Elliot had her so wound up. He couldn't leave her here like this. She heard him talking in the other room, but she couldn't make out the words. He came back into the bedroom a few minutes later, a pained expression on his face.

He saw Olivia sprawled out on the bed, her body flush with desire and he groaned. She reached out her hand towards him. "El. I need you." She moaned. She reached down and started to pull her underwear the rest of the way down her hips. "Please."

Elliot leaned over and put his hands over hers, stopping her. "Liv." He shook his head, his eyes roving over her body and back up to her face. "That was Cragen."

"No." Olivia said. "Don't say it."

He crawled back over her body and placed a kiss on her swollen lips. "I'm sorry." He whispered. "I have to go. I caught a case."

"Just…please El. Just...I just need you…"

"Liv." He groaned. "There's a victim waiting…" He kissed her again. "I'll make it up to you." He kissed her again and she wrapped her legs around him. She reached down and tried to pull her underwear down again. She wanted Elliot inside her…now.

Elliot grabbed her hands. "Liv. We can't. I have to go."

He pulled himself off her body and stood by the side of the bed. He took one look back at her and groaned. He should get a medal for restraint.

Olivia sat up, frustrated as hell. She watched Elliot as he started to get dressed.

"Talk about bad fucking timing." She griped. "You're going to have to give me a few minutes to get ready." She said, moving to get off the bed.

Elliot shook his head. "Fin's going with me."

His statement stopped Olivia. "What? Why?"

Elliot shrugged. "Don't know. Cragen said Fin was going to meet me at the hospital." He put his shirt back on and started tucking it in his pants. "Maybe because you said you wanted a couple of days off."

Olivia's brows knit together. _Damn it_. She had forgotten about that. She threw herself back onto the bed with a groan.

He crawled back onto the bed. "I'm sorry Liv. I know I left you…wound up. I'll be back as fast as I can."

"I'll be waiting for you Elliot. But just remember…we are in no way, shape or form…done with the make-up sex."

"Just don't…do anything without me." Elliot said, giving her a sly smile.

"I can't make any promises." She said as he walked out of the bedroom.

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	55. Chapter 55

Olivia didn't know what to do with herself after Elliot left. She was frustrated that Elliot had left so quickly and left her in this…state. The ache between her legs wasn't subsiding, and even though she'd been joking about taking care of it herself after he left…she was tempted to do just that. She groaned and pulled the sheet up, rolling on to her stomach and burying her face in her pillow. Damn it. She closed her eyes and wondered if she could just fall asleep right now. It has been an exhausting day. She tried to let her mind shut down; to allow herself to calm down and drift off. But she quickly realized that was going to work. She was too worked up, and now that she was alone, she couldn't help but think through all of the events of the day. She knew she shouldn't have kept something so serious from Elliot, and looking back now, she couldn't believe that she had even thought that was remotely OK. Being honest with each other had never been their strong suit, but they'd talked through all of that and had agreed to put an end to that. She saw Elliot's frustration clearly now, and she knew he had every right to be angry.

She rolled over on her back and thought about Elliot dragging her into Cragen's office. She'd been furious. But then she thought about why Elliot had done it…and she thought about the fact that he hadn't taken off and pummeled Jack to a bloody pulp. She knew he'd probably wanted to. And she knew he probably _still_ wanted to.

She mulled over the changes in Elliot in such a short time. He had told her that he was trying to change and that she had to meet him halfway. She thought she was changing…was trying… by simply not running when things had gotten to be too much. But she realized that wasn't enough. She had given Elliot her body and she thought she had given him her heart, but she hadn't completely committed to the idea that they could make this work. She had been holding back a part of her…still not quite believing that she was going to get what her heart desired more than anything. It was a defense mechanism…borne of years of disappointment. But if she really wanted this to work with Elliot, she had to give it everything she had. She sighed, the realization that she and Elliot could really have a future together…a happily ever after, washing over her and she felt strangely peaceful. She smiled. She felt ready to give herself completely; to trust in the relationship. She loved Elliot Stabler and he loved her…and the rest didn't matter.

She sat up, wide awake now and anxious for Elliot to come back. She thought about him at the hospital with Fin. It felt strange that he was going off to interview a victim without her. There had been other times when they'd been paired with other detectives in the past. Conflicts due to court dates and teachers conferences, vacations and doctor's appointments…but never when she was available. She knew it was her own doing. She had asked for a few days off. But that had been when she was so unbelievably pissed at Elliot and she wanted nothing more than to avoid seeing him. She'd go back to the squad room tomorrow and talk to Cragen; tell him she didn't need any time off after all.

She headed towards the bathroom, planning on taking a shower and getting something to eat while Elliot was out. She knew it was likely that he wouldn't be back for several hours, so she would order something in that he could heat up when he got home.

Home…she smiled. Elliot had told her earlier that he lived there and she had fought him on it. But the truth was that he does live there. It had just happened…they hadn't even talked about it. But they should talk about it because it was silly to have two apartments. Maybe they could get a new place…a place that belonged to both of them. She smiled at her optimism…her newfound hope for the future.

His wife knew…his ex-wife. His kids knew. Casey knew. It was a secret anymore. It wasn't forbidden any more. The only thing left to conquer was work and Cragen. She bit her bottom lip as she climbed into the shower. That was the scariest thought of all because she couldn't imagine not being partners with Elliot. It would mean more nights like this…when he would get called away and she wouldn't be with him…wouldn't be there to watch out for him and protect him. And he wouldn't be there to protect her. She wasn't sure what that would mean for them…if either one of them could handle it. It would be a difficult adjustment. She sighed deeply. There was no going back. She didn't want to go back. If it meant she could have all of Elliot Stabler…his mind, his body, his heart…she would sacrifice what they'd had. She'd always cherish their partnership. It made them what they are today, but she was ready to move forward.

EOEOEOEO

Elliot opened the door quietly, not wanting to wake Olivia. He didn't want to startle her. She had lived alone for years and she was armed. He was a little worried about getting shot if she suddenly woke and found a man in her room. He had texted her, letting her know he was on his way. But she hadn't answered and so he assumed she was sound asleep.

He toed his shoes off just inside the door and went into the kitchen to drop his gun, handcuffs and shield. He looked in the fridge and saw a bag from the neighborhood deli but he was too exhausted to eat. He grabbed a bottle of water and drank half of it standing in the kitchen. He walked towards the bedroom and saw the door was ajar. He pushed it open and saw she had left the light on in the bathroom and left that door open a crack so he wouldn't have to walk into a completely dark room. He saw her with her back towards him, curled up on her side. The comforter was pulled up to her waist, and he could see she had some kind of white tank on. Or maybe it was a nightgown? He couldn't tell in the dark.

He unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans and dropped them on the floor and pulled his t-shirt over his head. He pulled back the comforter and climbed in, snuggling up against her back and gently wrapping his arm around her waist, his fingers brushing the silky material. He heard her sigh softly, and sink back into his body. He buried his face into her hair and inhaled her…he felt a calm come over him. Despite the fact that it was 4AM; despite the fact that he'd just had to hear about a vicious attack on a young woman; despite the fact that he and Fin didn't really get along all that well…the stress of the night melted away as he curled up with Olivia.

"Everything OK?" he heard her whisper, and he jumped slightly because he hadn't realized she was awake.

"Yeah." He whispered. "It's fine."

"El…" She started and he knew that she was telling him that it was OK to tell her…to pour it out if he had to get something off his chest. But he didn't need to because he knew that she knew…she knew how horrible it would be to listen to yet another victim. She knew that he would have found it hard not having her at his side…and that having to have Fin there compounded it. So he felt no need to tell her…

"Shhh. Just go back to sleep." He pulled her back towards him and let out a sigh. He was asleep in minutes.

EOEOEOEOEO

Elliot woke suddenly, startled out of sleep and wondering what time it was as the morning sun streamed into the room. He was in bed alone and the spot next to him was cool, meaning Olivia had been out of bed for a while. He sat up and scrubbed his hands over his face, trying to wake up. He looked at the clock. 8AM. No wonder he was so exhausted. He rolled out of bed and walked into the kitchen. He saw Olivia leaning against the counter, with a mug in her hand. She looked up as he walked towards her and he smile lit her face.

"Good morning." He said, and he couldn't help but smile back at her. She looked so stunning with her hair still slightly messy and her face bare, a faint smattering of freckles across her nose. He leaned in and kissed her nose. "Sorry I woke you up this morning." He said as he reached into the cupboard behind her and grabbed a mug. "I was trying to be quiet."

"El. I've lived alone for a long time. You don't think I'm going to hear someone come into my apartment?"

Elliot laughed, because that was the exact thought he'd had coming in early this morning. He poured himself a cup of coffee and moved back, leaning against the counter across from her. His eyes scanned over her body as he took in the white silk nightgown. It barely came to the middle of her thighs, and the spaghetti straps and the v plunge of the neckline didn't leave much to the imagination. She had obviously been hoping he'd get home in time to finish what they'd started. He felt bad that he hadn't. His eyes finally met hers and he saw she had one eyebrow raised and a small smile on her face.

He shrugged his shoulders. "I can't help myself. I've told you you're too damn sexy."

She laughed lightly and rolled her eyes and Elliot wanted to tell her to knock it off…she was so absolutely fucking stunning. And so goddamn sexy. And she never realized what she really did to him…or to other men. But he knew she didn't take compliments well. That thanks to her mother, she thought that her beauty was a curse. Someday he'd cure that. But not today.

His eyes met hers again and he could see that something was on her mind. He started to open his mouth to ask her to spill it, when she spoke.

"So, I had some time to think last night."

Elliot felt his breath hitch. Sometimes Olivia thinking through things was not good. She overanalyzed the hell out of everything, calculating risk and reward.

Olivia must have seen the look on Elliot's face because she quickly continued. "It's not anything bad El." She paused and swallowed hard. "I just wanted to tell you that I'm really sorry that I didn't tell you about what happened with Jack."

"We've been over that Liv. I know." He said, dismissing her apology.

"No!" Olivia said, quite vehemently. "You're not listening Elliot. I really mean it. I understand now…I should never have kept quiet about it or kept it from you. I just want you to know that I trust you Elliot. And that won't happen again." Her eyes had a pleading look in them and Elliot understood what she was trying to tell him. That she was committed to making this work; that she was all in. That whatever fears and doubts she had about giving herself completely were gone.

He nodded his head. "I understand." He could see her visibly relax at his words. He took a sip of coffee and then set it down on the counter. "Last night…" he started. "I had a talk with Fin. Or rather, Fin had a talk with me." He smiled and Olivia's brow furrowed slightly. She knew that Fin and Elliot didn't really get along that well, and that there were numerous reasons, but one of them was her. Not that Fin had any kind of romantic feelings for her; she was more like a sister to him, and he felt a need to protect her just like Elliot did. But mostly he wanted to protect her from _Elliot_.

"Oh yeah?' She took a sip of coffee, her curiosity piqued.

"Yeah. Fin told me he has your back. That he'll protect you with his life." Elliot's voice cracked a little as he said it and Olivia drew in a sharp breath.

She knew what Elliot was telling her, and she knew that this was part of the deal. She and Elliot couldn't be partners anymore and she swallowed hard. Even though she knew that what they had was so much better, it still felt like an incredible loss and she felt herself tearing up.

"Liv." Elliot said softly, walking over to her. He took the mug out of her hands and put it on the counter. He lifted his hands to her face and swiped away the tear that had escaped as it made a path down her cheek. "I know." He wrapped his arms around her and held her close. Because despite everything they had gained, he felt the same loss.

_Earlier this morning_

_Fin and Elliot walked out of the hospital after their interview with their victim, Julie._

"_So. How's Liv?" he asked. Elliot gave him a sideways glance because he and Fin did not chit chat._

"_She's fine. Why wouldn't she be?" Elliot asked, a puzzled look on his face._

_Fin shook his head. "Because she was assaulted man. And because she had to report it. She had to let me and Cragen hear what that bastard did to her."_

_Elliot sighed but he didn't say anything._

_Fin continued. "Liv's a private person. She didn't want us to hear that."_

"_It had to come out." Elliot said. "He can't get away with that."_

_Fin nodded. "I know man. But I'm not sure you forcing her into it the way you did was the right thing to do. She was pissed off."_

"_Yeah." Elliot sighed. Because that was an understatement if he ever heard one._

"_She'll forgive you." Fin said. "She always does."_

"_Yeah." Elliot said, resignation in his voice. He still wasn't sure where this conversation was going but he knew there was something Fin wanted to say. He stopped and turned towards Fin, and Fin turned to face him. _

"_Just spit it out Fin."_

_Fin gave him a look and then Elliot saw his shoulders relax. "You know I haven't always been your biggest fan." Fin started and Elliot tried to curb a smile. That was another understatement. "But I just want you to know that I love Olivia. She is the heart of our team and I want her to be happy."_

_Elliot raised an eyebrow, now really curious as to what Fin was going to say._

_Fin paused, seeming to consider what he was going to say next. "So, I just want to tell you that I've got her back. I'm not going to let anything happen to her. I'll protect her with my life."_

_Elliot shook his head, somewhat at a loss for words. Fin knew about this thing between he and Liv; he just didn't know that he knew how far it had gone. Elliot held out his hand and Fin took it. "I appreciate that more than you know." Elliot said. And Fin nodded and walked away._

OK, I don't know why, but I got a little teary as I wrote this last part. This was a weird chapter I know. Kind of angsty. I must be in that kind of a mood. Please leave a review!


	56. Chapter 56

**Sorry for the long delay in getting this updated. I had a bit of a block and had to write a one-shot to shake it off. If you haven't read it, please do. It's called Dream. Anyway…here's an excerpt from the last chapter so that we're all on the same page. And here we go.**

From the end of the last chapter…

_He nodded his head. "I understand." He could see her visibly relax at his words. He took a sip of coffee and then set it down on the counter. "Last night…" he started." I had a talk with Fin. Or rather, Fin had a talk with me." He smiled and Olivia's brow furrowed slightly. She knew that Fin and Elliot didn't really get along that well, and that there were numerous reasons, but one of them was her. Not that Fin had any kind of romantic feelings for her; she was more like a sister to him, and he felt a need to protect her just like Elliot did. But mostly he wanted to protect her from__Elliot__._

_"Oh yeah?' She took a sip of coffee, her curiosity piqued._

_"Yeah. Fin told me he has your back. That he'll protect you with his life." Elliot's voice cracked a little as he said it and Olivia drew in a sharp breath._

_She knew what Elliot was telling her, and she knew that this was part of the deal. She and Elliot couldn't be partners anymore and she swallowed hard. Even though she knew that what they had was so much better, it still felt like an incredible loss and she felt herself tearing up._

_"Liv." Elliot said softly, walking over to her. He took the mug out of her hands and put it on the counter. He lifted his hands to her face and swiped away the tear that had escaped as it made a path down her cheek. "I know." He wrapped his arms around her and held her close. Because despite everything they had gained, he felt the same loss._

EOEOEOEOEOEO

Elliot pulled back from the embrace and looked at Olivia.

"I wish we could stay partners Liv. I really do. But that's not going to happen."

"I know." Olivia whispered. "But I can still be sad about it."

Elliot caressed her cheek. "Yes, you can. And I can't imagine what it's going to be like not having you there with me all the time. But we can't keep this from Cragen anymore. Too many people know and I don't want it to bite us in the ass."

Olivia let out a big sigh. "You're right. I know. And I like working with Fin."

"Fin loves you. It'll make me feel better if you're out on the streets with him versus anyone else." Elliot leaned in and nuzzled her neck. He placed his hands on her hips and pulled her against him. "What would really make me happy is if you were stuck on desk duty." He wiggled his eyebrows at her. "We have to keep working on that." He said as he ground up against her lightly.

Olivia had a confused look on her face until she realized he was talking about getting her pregnant. Her eyes got wide. They really hadn't talked about that in the past several weeks; not since she had been worried about getting pregnant from her one night stand with Jack. And while they hadn't been using birth control, she really hadn't been thinking about it at all.

Her cheeks flushed slightly and she slapped him lightly on the chest. "Elliot…" she said as a small smile crossed her face.

"What?" he said, portraying an innocent expression. "It's true. I'd love it if you were forced to be on desk duty…" He ran his hands back up to her waist and leaned in and gave her a kiss. "It's like a three for one deal. I get to have all the fun of _making_ a baby. I get to have you safe and sound on desk duty. And I get a beautiful baby too."

Olivia shook her head. "You think I'd be a lot of fun if I was stuck on desk duty? I don't think so." She pushed him back with her hands. "Whatever happens…we're not working on it right now. We need to get into work." Truthfully, Olivia was a little rattled by the talk of a baby. Despite what Elliot had said weeks before, she really felt like they needed to discuss it again. At that point, he had just been trying to ease her fears about a potential pregnancy. She filed it away as a discussion topic, along with the apartment topic. She wanted a baby. She especially wanted Elliot's baby. But it definitely warranted a discussion.

"But you're on vacation." Elliot said, pouting a little and pulling her close again. "And I have a free pass to come in late."

Olivia pushed him back again. "Hey, it's not my fault. I was more than ready last night." She jabbed a finger into his chest and raised an eyebrow at him. "And you left."

Elliot sputtered. "I had to leave. I didn't have a choice."

Olivia rolled her eyes. "A couple more minutes wouldn't have mattered." She started to walk away from him but stopped and looked back at him, her lips curling into a small smile. "But don't worry. I was single for a long time and I know how to take care of these things. Don't want to always be reliant on a man." She teased him, turning back and swaying her hips as she walked towards the bedroom.

Elliot shook his head, images of Olivia from the previous night in his mind. _Damn it_. She was pure sex sometimes…and the people that knew the badass crime fighting Olivia Benson would never imagine this side of her. He smiled because that was fine with him. He would keep that side of Olivia all to himself.

EOEOEOEO

They walked into the precinct and it looked slightly chaotic. Fin and Munch weren't there but Casey walked out of Cragen's office just as Olivia and Elliot sat down at their desks.

Casey raised an eyebrow as she walked over to Olivia's desk. "Everything OK?" she said, letting her eyes trail over towards Elliot.

Olivia leaned back in her chair and smiled at Casey. "Everything's fine. We worked it out."

Casey nodded and let out a small sigh. "Good. I'm glad to hear it. I wasn't sure if you were ever going to talk to him again." She looked at her watch. "Damn it. I have to get to court. I'll catch up with you later Liv." She looked over at Elliot. "Behave yourself." She said, smirking as she walked to the door.

Elliot looked over at Olivia. "What did I do now?"

Olivia shook her head. "Don't worry about it." She started to stand up, intent on talking to Cragen when he came out of his office.

"Olivia." He said, surprised to see her.

She walked towards him. "Hi Captain. I decided I don't need a few days off."

Cragen looked over at Elliot, who had swiveled around in his chair to look at them. "Are you sure? Can you two work together? Because I need you to be 100%. I can't have this argument spilling over."

Olivia nodded. "We're sure. We talked about it and I know now that although I didn't appreciate how Elliot did it, it was the right thing to do. I needed to report what Jack did."

"I agree. I had Fin look into his background a little bit and he's had some complaints before."

Olivia looked surprised. "He did?"

"Yeah. Fin can go over it with you. Nothing came of it but it shows a pattern of obsession and harassment. Should help."

"He's not going to get any jail time Captain." Olivia said.

Cragen shrugged. "Maybe not. But at least it will go in this record and you can get a restraining order against him. And it will maybe get him to think before he does this again."

Elliot had stood up while Cragen was talking to Olivia. When he could see they were finished, he walked over.

"Cap'n. Can we have a minute?" he asked and Olivia's head snapped to look at him. They had talked briefly about telling Cragen, but they hadn't definitively decided when. She wanted to stop him, but didn't know what she could say now that wouldn't sound suspicious.

"El. We really need to go over that court testimony right now." she said, grabbing at straws to try to get them out of this discussion.

Elliot furrowed his brows. "What court testimony?" He realized too late that Olivia was just trying to get out of the conversation. "Oh…"

Cragen wasn't sure what was going on, but he could sense their discomfort. "My office." He turned and headed back into his office, not giving them an opportunity to protest.

Olivia shot Elliot a dirty look as they followed him. "We didn't talk about this." She hissed in a low whisper right before they walked through the door.

Elliot shrugged. "It's not going to get any easier Liv." He knew they hadn't really discussed when to tell Cragen and that she was going to be pissed about another decision he made without consulting her. But he also knew that if they left it up to her, it would be delay after delay. And since Fin already knew…they had to tell Cragen.

They sat down across from Cragen, and Olivia felt nervous. Captain Cragen was like a father to her, and right now, she felt like a child about to admit to some wrong-doing.

Cragen sat down and sighed. There had been a lot of drama over the past several months between Olivia and Elliot, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to hear about something else.

"What's up?" he asked.

Olivia looked over at Elliot. She didn't know who was going to talk or what they were going to say. Which is exactly why they should have talked about this more before he decided to spill the beans. At that moment, she decided that since he was the one that had forced this discussion, he could do all the talking.

"Go ahead Elliot." She said, leaning back in her chair and looking at him. Maybe if she put him on the spot, he'd decide not to tell him and would make up something else.

"Captain. Do you remember a couple months back when you asked us if there was anything we needed to tell you?"

Olivia looked down at her hands. No such luck. He was going to tell him.

"Yes." Said Cragen slowly. He now had an idea of where this was headed and he steeled himself. He _knew_ this would happen eventually; he _should_ have been prepared for it. He'd _told_ himself to prepare for it. But now here they were.

Elliot was looking over at Olivia, but she wasn't making eye contact with anyone. Cragen looked back and forth between the two of them. "Are you telling me that you were lying to me?"

Olivia's head popped up and she looked shocked. "No!" she said quickly. "No." She swallowed, thinking back to the discussion. "Well…not really." Technically, they had not been lying. But they had declared their feelings for each other. They just hadn't slept together yet.

"Not really?" Cragen asked.

Elliot jumped in. "I think I need to start at the beginning."

"I don't have time to re-hash the last 7 years." Cragen said.

Elliot and Olivia both stared at him.

"That's not what I meant." Elliot said.

Cragen shook his head. "When I first paired you up, I did so because you're a good Detective Elliot, and I thought you'd do a good job training in a new detective. And because I knew she could give you a run for your money. But it was only a couple months in…maybe 6…that I knew that you two had something special. At first I thought it was just a great working relationship. That you two just really balanced each other out. And you do. But it didn't take long to see the connection you two had. You were just…_in sync_. I always wondered…were they too close? I kept my eyes on you…I worried about you two crossing the line. But really…that line seemed to get moved all the damn time. And I let it because I didn't want to break up the best team I had. Hell, that the NYPD has." He leaned back in his chair and looked at them both, noticing they were trying hard to maintain neutral expressions and were being especially careful not to look at each other.

"I knew it was only a matter of time. I'm actually kind of surprised it's taken this damn long. Unless you've been keeping this from me."

"No!" Olivia was quick to speak. "We haven't been keeping anything from you. It's just been the past couple of months."

Cragen nodded. "Well, it's semantics really. Because you've been close for a long time. There have always been rumors…people talk when they see how close you two are. 1PP has argued about whether or not I should split you up…despite not having…" he struggled for the words. "Consummated your relationship." He looked up at them uncomfortably. "That's what we're talking about right?"

Olivia looked down at her lap, unable to answer him.

Elliot let out a deep breath. God, this was kind of like admitting to a girlfriend's dad that he'd had sex with his daughter. "Um, yeah." He didn't know what else to say. He looked over at Olivia and could see her cheeks were flushed with embarrassment. "I swear Cap'n. This is recent. We know we couldn't keep this under wraps for much longer."

"Oh God. Are you pregnant?" Cragen asked after hearing Elliot's words. Because frankly, he would have expected them to keep it quiet as long as they could to prevent being split up.

Olivia's head came up again and her eyes got wide. "No!" In the back of her mind she added. _I don't think so._

"OK. Sorry." Cragen apologized. "I just thought maybe that's why you decided to tell me now."

Elliot jumped in again. "No. We just wanted to be up front with you. Kathy and my kids know. Casey knows. And now Fin knows. That all just happened." He looked over at Olivia and she looked over at him before she turned her attention back to Cragen. "Plus. We don't want to keep this a secret anymore." He reached out and placed a hand over Olivia's. "I love her and want everyone to know that."

Cragen looked back and forth between them again. "You know what this means, right?"

Olivia and Elliot both nodded.

"Yeah, we discussed it." Olivia said quietly.

Elliot spoke up. "Fin talked to me last night. I think Liv should be paired up with Fin."

Cragen hesitated for a moment. "It might not be that easy. Now that this relationship is revealed, I'm not sure that I can keep both of you in the department."

"What?!" Olivia and Elliot said simultaneously. They hadn't seen this coming.

"What do you mean?" Elliot asked.

"Even if you guys change partners…there are times when you back each other up. You're still going to work together. Closely. Look at how many times you're out with Fin or Munch now. Or others in the past. It could still create a conflict."

Elliot leaned forward in his chair. "Cap'n. You said it yourself. We've been close for years and we've still done our job. It hasn't gotten in the way."

Cragen shook his head. "No? Can you say that definitively? If you had ever been in a situation where you had to choose, can you honestly tell me what you would have done?" Cragen shook his head. "You're just lucky that it's never come to that."

Elliot stood up. "Cap'n."

Cragen put up a hand. "It's not my call Elliot. I have to inform 1PP. I'm going to recommend what you suggested. Fin with Liv and you with Munch. I want to keep both of you. I really do. And I'll do my best to fight to keep you. Your track record together is good ammunition." He sighed heavily again. "But telling 1PP that you've been able to work together even though you're close to each other isn't exactly the best story. Especially when they wanted me to split you up before. Ultimately, it's not up to me."

"Cap'n. Can you hold off telling 1PP? Let us prove to you that it'll work with just a partner switch." Elliot was grasping at straws. It was already devastating to think about losing Olivia as a partner, but if one of them had to leave SVU…he couldn't bear the thought. He looked over at Olivia and she looked absolutely stricken. They knew they'd have to split up but they'd never seriously thought one of them would be forced to leave.

Cragen shook his head. "I can't Elliot. If they found out I kept this under wraps, my head will roll. I've put my neck out a lot for you two, and I'll push to keep you both here, but I can't let this go."

"I understand Cap'n." Elliot said, wanting to end the conversation and get Olivia out of there. "We appreciate anything you can do." He shifted from one foot to the other. "And if one of us has to go, it'll be me."

Olivia jumped up. "No!"

Elliot turned to Olivia. "Liv. I'm not going to let you leave SVU. You're too good with the victims. I've been here too long. I could do something else."

Cragen interrupted. "Let's just cross that bridge IF we have to. OK?" He knew they were still reeling from the news and didn't want to see another argument erupt. "In the interim, Liv you're with Fin and Elliot with Munch. I'll talk to them when they get back."

"Um, Cap'n. Can we talk to them?" asked Olivia. She felt guilty about breaking them up as a team and wanted to talk to them about it.

Cragen considered her for a moment. "I guess that would be OK. But I want to talk to them afterwards." He stood up. "Now you two need to get back to work." As they started to turn back towards the door, Cragen spoke again. "Liv. Can you stay for a minute?" He looked at Elliot. "Close the door behind you." Elliot looked back at Olivia. He wasn't sure why he wanted Liv to stay back, but he couldn't question him. He closed the door and made his way back to his desk.

_**Hope you enjoyed that chapter. Leave a review!**_


	57. Chapter 57

_Thanks for the reviews! I love to hear from the readers, even if it's just a word or two_.

EOEOEOEOEO

The door closed behind Elliot and Olivia sat back down. She shifted nervously in her seat as Cragen sat back down behind his desk. He seemed to think a moment before he spoke, making Olivia even more concerned about what he was going to say.

"Liv. You know I think of you as the daughter I never had." He smiled at her and Olivia relaxed a little. "I just wanted to know how you're doing. You know…" he looked intently at her. "with everything."

Olivia gave him a small smile. She loved the fact that everyone in the unit was like family to her and that they were always concerned about her welfare. "Captain. I'm fine."

Cragen sighed. "Liv. A lot has happened in the last 3 months."

Olivia nodded. "You're right. It has." She furrowed her brow, trying to read between the lines. "Are you asking me if I can do my job? Because that's not a problem. I never let my personal life get in the way of me doing my job." Olivia straightened up in her chair, bristling at what she thought the Captain was insinuating.

"Liv. That's not what I'm saying." Cragen stood up and came around his desk, sitting in the chair recently vacated by Elliot. "I'm not saying that at all." He leaned back. "But first it was that thing with Jack Spencer, then Elliot landing in jail. Then another assault. And now this…thing with Elliot."

He looked back at Olivia and leaned forward again. "And it's not going to get easier. At the very least, you're going to have to change partners, and you're going to have to testify against Jack." He reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. "It's just a lot Olivia. And I want to make sure you're OK."

Olivia nodded. "I appreciate it. But I'm fine."

Cragen sighed and started to say something else but stopped. He started to stand up before he was interrupted by Olivia.

"What is it Captain?" Olivia put a hand on his arm and he sat back down. "Just say what you want to say."

He sighed heavily. "Liv. I just don't want to see you get hurt. Elliot…" his voice trailed off. He had known this relationship was inevitable; he had sat back and watched it happen. He knew how they felt about each other. But there was just so much history…he didn't want them to risk everything if they hadn't thought everything through…if they weren't sure. He didn't want them basing a relationship on a one night stand. He was worried that the sexual tension between them had just spilled over one night and now they were dealing with the aftermath by trying to forge a relationship. He didn't want to see either one of them hurt, but he was especially concerned about Olivia. With everything else going on, she didn't need that too. "You two have talked about this right? You talked everything through?" He didn't know what to say without just coming out and saying it, and he didn't want to embarrass Olivia.

Olivia looked puzzled for a moment. She was trying to figure out what Cragen was trying so hard not to say. Then it clicked. "Captain. It didn't happen how you think it did. After this mess with Jack, Elliot told me how he felt. And I told him. We talked about it. We had a few fights. We sorted through all of the initial mess with Jack. All the…" she paused. "Other stuff didn't come until later. When you asked us if we had to tell you something, we didn't lie. We hadn't completely crossed that line yet." Olivia couldn't believe she was sitting in Cragen's office and telling him about her sex life; her sex life with Elliot in fact. She should have been embarrassed but she knew he came from a place of affection. She knew he was genuinely concerned about her. She reached over and put a hand on his arm. "I'm a big girl. I'll be fine. But I really appreciate that fact that you're looking out for me."

Cragen put his hand over hers and smiled. "Just let me know if you need anything, OK? I know you have other people to talk to but…"

He was interrupted by a knock on the door. He stood up, turning towards the door. "Come in." Fin poked his head in and saw Olivia sitting there.

"Oh sorry. I'll come back."

Olivia stood up and smiled. "We're done here." She said. She was anxious to get out of Cragen's office. Fin swung the door open and he and Munch walked in.

"We have an update on our victim." Olivia heard him say as she walked out and back to her desk.

When she sat down, she could feel Elliot's eyes on her as she dug into a file on her desk. She looked up at him without lifting her head. "Later." She said, looking back down at her files.

"Bad?" Elliot asked.

Olivia shook her head. "Don't worry about it." She dug back into the notes of the file, trying to get up to speed on the case Fin and Munch were working on to see if they could see anything different. She heard Fin and Munch walk out of Cragen's office and she shot a look at Elliot. They hadn't really discussed when or how they should tell Fin and Munch, but she assumed Cragen wasn't going to give them a lot of time. She was about to look up and say something when Fin stopped by her desk.

She looked up at him, surprised to see him standing there. He leaned over, placing one hand on her desk, and lowered his voice. "Hey Liv. Did Elliot talk to you?"

Olivia bit her bottom lip. "Yeah." She put her hand over Fin's. "He did." She smiled up at him. "I appreciate it." She looked over at Elliot. "Elliot and I need to talk to you and Munch." She said and Fin straightened up. Fin nodded his head towards Cragen's office. "Yes. We told him." She said quietly.

Fin moved away from her desk. "Munch. C'mon man. Liv and Elliot need to talk to us."

John looked over his glasses at Olivia. "_Need_ to talk to us? Stabler finally knock you up?" he joked.

Elliot stood up. "Shut the hell up John." He said, shaking his head. He hated all of the rumors that had been circulating around the precinct for years. And he also hated the fact that now he was going to have to tell John that he and Liv were together. Even though it hadn't been years as everyone assumed, Munch was still going to make a big deal about it.

Elliot waited for Olivia to pass by before falling in line behind her. Fin was leading them into the conference room.

Munch walked in with a file folder in his hand. "This works because we have an update to give to you too."

Munch plopped down into the chair next to Munch and Olivia closed the door. Munch raised an eyebrow. "Wow, this must be serious." He said, a big smile on his face.

Elliot leaned against one of the file cabinets in the room and folded his arms in front of him. He looked over at Olivia, silently asking if she wanted to tell them or if he should.

Olivia caught his look, but had already decided she would be the one. John would take it better from her than from Elliot, and Fin already knew. "Guys. We just got done talking to Cragen and there's going to be some short term changes around here. Well, they may become long term…or. Well, I'm not really sure but." She looked back at Elliot. She wasn't doing a very good job.

Before Elliot could speak, Fin jumped in. "What she's trying to tell you is that we're switching partners. You're going to be teamed up with Stabler and I've got Liv."

Munch looked confused. "Why? Did you ask for a change?"

Fin got a disgusted look on his face. "Don't be stupid man. Liv's got herself a new boyfriend."

Munch's head swiveled around back to Olivia. "What?! Stabler finally got you in the sack, huh?"

Fin slapped Munch on the side of the head. "Didn't I say not to be an idiot?"

Olivia blushed slightly. She knew Munch would give her a hard time but sometimes he was so…Munch. She couldn't resist teasing him a little. "How do you know it wasn't me that jumped him?" she asked, throwing a look over at Elliot.

Elliot chuckled, seeing the look on Munch and Fin's face.

Munch leaned over. "Wouldn't surprise me a bit." A huge smile crossed his face. "I've always suspected there was some kind of sex goddess hidden in there." He wiggled his eyebrows at her.

Elliot stepped towards the table. "Alright, alright. Enough of that." He said, his tone teasing, but letting Munch know that was the end of it.

Olivia and Elliot proceeded to tell them everything else that the Captain had said, and Fin and Munch were sincere when they told them that they hoped they could both stay in SVU. As much as they could argue and disagree with each other…they still valued the team they had.

They chatted for a little longer until Munch tapped on the file he had brought in with him. "So, we did some digging into Spencer's background."

Olivia ran her finger across under her bottom lip, resting her thumb on her jaw. She wasn't sure if she was ready to hear this. Munch could sense her discomfort. "We can do this later."

She shook her head and sighed. "No. Just…go ahead."

Munch flipped open the file. "Well, he's had a few complaints. But nothing in the past ten years. Either he's been keeping his nose clean, or he's convinced them not to press charges. I'm going to go with the latter because based on what's in this file, I can't believe he's been staying out of trouble."

Olivia slid the file towards her. "What's in the file?"

"This guys a real winner. He gets fixated on someone and perceives a relationship. He stalks them and it ultimately escalates into some kind of sexual encounter. He's never been convicted though because there's been enough doubt as to the nature of each relationship."

Olivia sighed. She knew what Munch was telling her. She'd willingly had sex with Jack, so the jury wouldn't necessarily believe the rest hadn't been consensual. Typical bullshit.

"How many other women?" she asked.

"Well, there are four. But like I said, it's been ten years. There have to have been more in between now and then."

"We have to find them." Elliot said, coming off the file cabinets and resting his hands on the table.

"And just how are we supposed to find women that didn't file a complaint?" Fin asked.

"I don't know!" said Elliot, his voice escalating. Olivia reached over and put a hand on his arm.

"Elliot."

He looked down at her and took a deep breath. "I just don't want him to get off this time Liv."

Olivia shook her head. "Well, he's going to. It doesn't even seem worth it." She stood up and opened the door, walking out of the room. Elliot, Fin and Munch just stared after her.

"We're going to keep digging." Said Fin. "We'll get this bastard."

EOEOEOEOEOEO

Elliot sat down at his desk and stared over at Olivia. She was immersed in the file in front of her, or at least pretending to be.

"Liv." He said.

She looked up at him. "I don't want to talk. I'm done talking today." She sighed. She was already tired of this day. Part of her wished she _had_ decided to take a few days off. She didn't want to think about Jack Spencer. She didn't want to think about losing Elliot as a partner. She especially didn't want to think about one of them having to leave SVU. She just wanted to focus on work. That allowed her to forget everything else. "Can we please just get back to work?"

Elliot nodded. "Yeah. Sure."

EOEOEOEOEO

Five o'clock finally rolled around and Elliot stood up and stretched. "I think it's time to go Liv."

Fin stood up. "Hey, we were talking about grabbing a beer. What d'ya think? You in?" Fin said, walking over towards Elliot and Olivia.

"Liv?" Elliot asked.

"You gotta ask permission to have a beer now Elliot?" teased Munch.

Elliot rolled his eyes. "Funny." He turned back to Olivia. "You want to go?"

Olivia shook her head. "No. I really don't. But you go."

"Nah. I'll drive you home."

Olivia shook her head. "You know what El? It's been a long day. I wouldn't mind a little time alone."

Elliot was a little surprised. "Oh." He wasn't quite sure how to react, but he didn't want to make a big fuss in front of Munch and Fin. "Um. Sure. I guess I'll go with you guys." He turned to Fin. "I'll meet you there in a few minutes."

Fin and Munch walked out and Elliot walked over to Olivia. "What going on?" he asked, placing a hand on her arm.

"Nothing El." She stepped away, forcing his hand to drop from her arm. "It's just been a long day. I'm going to go home and take a hot bath and relax." She saw the look on Elliot's face. "Alone."

"OK." He said, and Olivia could hear the disappointment in his voice. "El. You can come over later. I just need a little time."

"Can I drop you off?"

Olivia shook her head. "Just go have a beer with the guys." She said, pushing him towards the door. "I can take care of myself."

EOEOEOEOEO

Olivia paid the cabdriver after he pulled up in front of her building. She let herself in the building and walked up the four flights of stairs to her apartment. She was exhausted and she couldn't wait to run a hot bath and pour herself a bottle of wine.

She reached her door and unlocked it, pushing the door open. She walked in and dropped her gun, badge and keys on the counter. She turned around to shut the door and let out a small scream when she saw Jack standing there. She rushed to slam the door, but Jack put a hand out and stopped the door, pushing his way into the apartment. Olivia backed up, trying to put space between them as he slammed the door shut behind him.

Olivia's eyes darted over towards her gun, out of reach in the kitchen. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I just need to talk to you." He said.

"You need to leave. You can't be there. There's a restraining order against you." She took a step back towards the kitchen, but Jack sidestepped, effectively cutting her off.

"Don't be stupid Olivia." He took a step towards her and she backed up another step. "I said I need to talk to you. I'm not sure what's happening, but you're obviously confused about what happened at the party." He took another step towards her and Olivia tried to hold her ground, but ended up taking another few steps back until her back collided with the wall.

Jack stopped a few feet from her. "You wanted me. I could see it in your eyes." He said.

"No." Olivia whispered. "I didn't." She shook her head. "I didn't."

"That dress. Those shoes. Why else would you wear something like that? You were practically asking to be fucked." His was talking louder now and his face was getting a little flushed.

Olivia kept shaking her head. "No. That's not true."

Jack took a few steps closer and slammed his hand into the wall next to her. "Why are you lying?" he yelled at her. "You fucking bitch!" He took a deep breath and took a step back, shaking his head. Olivia could tell that he was working hard to calm down. He put his hands up. "Just. Tell me why you're doing this."

"I'm not doing anything." Olivia said, trying to control the tremble in her voice. "I need you to leave."

"I'm not leaving Olivia. Not until we sort this out."

Olivia's mind was reeling. She didn't see a way out of this; especially if she couldn't get to her gun. Jack obviously wasn't going to give up and wasn't going to leave on his own. And she knew it would be hours before Elliot came back.

"Jack. There is nothing to sort out." Olivia put up her hands. "I don't know what you think is going on between us, but…"

"What I _think_ is going on?" His voice had escalated again. "For God's sake. We fucked Olivia. Are you denying that?"

"Jack please calm down. I'm not denying that." She was trying to think of what to say to appease him. "I'm sorry if I led you on. I didn't mean to." She talked in a soothing voice, trying to tell him what he wanted to hear. "It was my mistake and I'm sorry. You deserve better."

Jack cocked his head, considering what she saying. "I accept your apology. But you're wrong. I don't want anyone else. I want you."

"Jack. I'm not the right woman for you." Olivia said. She took a step forward, hoping Jack would take a step back, but he didn't. Instead, he took another step towards her and placed a hand on her cheek. Olivia flinched slightly at the contact.

"I know you were the right woman the moment I saw you. You're so beautiful." He said. "That partner of yours. He's not right for you."

She took a deep breath and reached up, placing her hands on Jack's shoulders. "You're right."

Jack looked at her, as if questioning the sudden change. But his ego got the better of him and he placed his hands on her waist. "I'm always right. We're going to be so good together. You'll see." He took a step back forward, pushing her back towards the wall. He leaned in to kiss her and as his lips touched hers, she lifted up her knee hard and made direct contact with his groin. He let out a yelp and dropped to his knees. Olivia rushed past him and made it to the kitchen. She grabbed her gun and whipped back around, pointing it at him as he crouched, groaning and hold his hands over his ruined genitals.

"You bitch." He moaned out through gritted teeth.

Olivia grabbed her handcuffs and quickly pulled one of Jack's wrists away from his crotch and put the bracelet around it. He fought her as she tried to grab his other wrist but he hadn't regained his strength and she was able to cuff him. She moved away a few feet, breathing hard from the exertion. She picked up her phone and dialed 9-1-1, giving them her badge number and asking them to send a squad car, Jack yelling in the background the whole time.

Olivia kept her gun trained on him the whole time. When she hung up with the dispatcher, she told him to shut up and was surprised when he actually listened to her. She pulled up Elliot's number and hit SEND. He answered on the second ring. She could tell he'd already had a few beers.

"Miss me already?" he joked.

"El." She said quietly. "I need you to come home.

_Thanks for reading this update. Please leave a review!_


	58. Chapter 58

**On with the next chapter! Things are moving forward, so here we go!**

Elliot heard the tone of Olivia's voice and knew something was wrong. He stood up, looking over at Fin and Munch.

"Liv. What's wrong?" He heard her reply, reiterating that he just needed to come home right away. "I'm on my way." He managed to say before she hung up. He raced towards the door.

Fin and Munch heard Elliot's side of the conversation and followed him out. But by the time they reached the car, Elliot was already pulling away from the curb.

EOEOEOEOEO

Elliot's heart rate accelerated as he got close to Olivia's apartment. There were two squad cars parked outside, and a sedan from the precinct. Cragen's he presumed. His heart started hammering in his chest. _What the hell is going on?_

He threw the gear shift into park, his car parked haphazardly next to one of the squad cars. The front door to her building was open and he raced inside, running up the four flights of stairs. When he got to the door of her apartment, a uniformed officer was outside and stopped him at the door. He flashed his badge and the office stepped aside to let him in.

He walked in and looked around at the scene in front of him. There were a couple of uniforms to his right, and he saw Cragen talking to Olivia. "Liv." He said, his tone anxious as he rushed over to her. He had almost reached her when he caught sight of something off to his right. His head swiveled to take in the sight of Jack Spencer with his hands cuffed behind him. Elliot's view had been blocked by the officers and he hesitated. His head turned back towards Olivia and now he was really concerned. He knew if Jack was involved, it couldn't be good. He could feel the anger boiling up inside of him, but he forced himself to take a deep breath and kept moving towards Olivia. He put his hands on her shoulders, his eyes tracing up and down her body, looking for any sign of injury. "Are you OK?" he gasped out. "What happened?" He looked over at Jack. "What the fuck happened?"

He didn't wait for a reply. He didn't see any obvious sign of injury so he turned his attention back to Jack.

"You son of a bitch." He growled. "I swear to God. If you touched her…" he took a step towards him and Jack involuntarily took a step back. Before anyone could stop him, Elliot had moved over to Jack, and was practically standing on top of him. He raised an arm and leaned in, his face inches from Jack's.

"I told you to stay the fuck away from her! What did you do? I swear to God, if you touched her again, I'll kill you." His voice was at full volume and his neck muscles were bulging. He dropped his arm, and his hands were fisted at his sides.

"I didn't do a goddamn thing. I just came over here to try to talk some sense into her. This is all bullshit." Said Jack. "I didn't do a goddamn thing that she didn't want me to."

"Shut the fuck up!" Elliot yelled. He was trying hard to keep himself from punching Jack in the face. "You attacked her and you know it!"

"She was egging me on all night. She _wanted_ me to touch her." Jack yelled back at Elliot. Jack shot a look over at Olivia and then turned his attention back to Elliot. "She was begging for it."

Elliot was furious. This guy was definitely delusional and twisted. He wanted nothing more than to pummel this guy into a bloody mess, but he heard Olivia. She had moved over to stand next to him and she had her hand on his arm.

"Elliot." She said it softly, and squeezed his arm, trying to divert his attention to her. "Please. Stop." He heard the pleading in her voice and he took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. He turned around to face her and ushered her away from Jack. He didn't want her within ten feet of that bastard.

When they had moved back across the room to where Cragen was still standing, he stopped, placing his hands on her shoulders and looking her up and down again. "What the hell happened? Did he attack you? Did he…?" The words came rushing out and he was still seeing red, thinking about what could have happened. He couldn't even finish the thought.

Olivia raised a hand and placed it on Elliot's arm. "I'm fine Elliot. He didn't touch me." She ran a hand through her hair. "He just showed up here and was ranting about what happened at the bar. He was telling me that I must have misunderstood what happened. I'm not sure…"

She was about to say that she assumed he was trying to talk her into dropping the charges when she was interrupted by Fin and Munch racing into the apartment. "What the hell's going on?" asked Munch. He and Fin had been just as panicked when they pulled up to Olivia's apartment and had seen the squad cars.

"Liv. You OK?" Fin asked as they both strode over to her.

"I'm fine. It's nothing." Olivia said.

"Doesn't look like nothing." Munch said as he waved his arm around the room, motioning to all of the people assembled.

Cragen spoke up. "He didn't touch her. But he is going back to jail. He broke the restraining order and his bail will be revoked. He'll be there until trial." He looked over at Olivia. "That should make you sleep better."

There was a small commotion as two uniformed officers started to move Jack out of the apartment. As he was led past Olivia, Elliot turned his body so he was between her and Jack. He glared at him as he passed by, as if daring him to say something. Jack opened his mouth and Elliot couldn't believe the balls on this guy, but the uniformed officer jerked him forward and out the door of the apartment before he had a chance to say anything.

Elliot started to follow them. He wanted just a few minutes alone with Jack Spencer. But Cragen stepped in front of him.

"Elliot. That's not going to solved anything."

"Captain. I'm done with this bullshit. He's not going to leave her alone."

"And beating the crap out of him is only going to help his case."

Elliot let out a heated breath. He knew Cragen was right but he'd never wanted to kill anybody as much as he wanted to kill Jack Spencer right now.

"Elliot." Cragen said. "Focus on Liv right now." Those words brought him back, and he let his shoulders slump, the anger dissipating.

"You're right." He turned back and headed over to where Olivia was standing with Fin and Munch. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. He kissed the top of her head. "It's going to be fine Liv." He said, hoping he could make her feel safe.

EOEOEOEOEOEO

Everyone had cleared out of the apartment, and Olivia and Elliot were sitting on the couch. Olivia was curled up against his chest and he had his arms wrapped around her. Olivia had just finished telling him all of the details of what had happened.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here Liv."

"It's fine Elliot. You don't need to feel guilty. That's not why I told you."

"I know. But if something would have happened to you. Who knows what he would have done?"

"I handled it El. I have the same training as you do." She said. She didn't want Elliot to think that she couldn't take care of herself. "I can defend myself."

"I know Liv. I just…I worry." He pulled her closer and wrapped his arms tighter around her. He placed a kiss on the top of her head. "I love you."

Olivia smiled. She knew Elliot had always been fiercely protective of her, and she also knew that was probably amped up about a million times since they'd taken their relationship to the next level. It had nothing to do with her capability. It was just part of what made Elliot…Elliot.

They heard a knock at the door and Olivia jumped a little. She pulled back and gave him a puzzled look. "Who could that be?" She stood up and started walking towards the door but Elliot was up and in front of her before she made it halfway.

"Let me get it." He said, stopping her forward motion with his hand and Olivia rolled her eyes.

"Elliot." She said in a slightly exasperated tone. But she stopped and let him go to the door.

He looked through the peephole, and turned to Olivia. "It's Casey."

He unlocked the door and opened it. Casey didn't hesitate walking in to Olivia's apartment.

"God Liv. I just heard. Are you OK?"

Olivia let out an exasperated sigh and turned around, heading back to the couch. "I'm tired of everyone asking me that." She plopped down on the couch and Casey sat down next to her.

"I can't believe this." She said. "Aaron and I just can't believe this is happening. Aaron and Jack have been good friends since law school. We've never seen this side of him. All of these other allegations…we didn't know anything about it." She put her hand on top of Olivia's. "Aaron and I are just sick about this. It's like we didn't know him at all. I'm so sorry Liv. This is all my fault."

Olivia looked up at her sharply. "How is this _your_ fault?"

"You never would have met Jack if we hadn't invited him to be part of our wedding party."

Olivia rolled her eyes. "You didn't know." Part of Olivia couldn't believe that they'd never seen this side of Jack, but she trusted her friend. They would never willingly be friends with someone like Jack if they'd know about his behavior.

She stood up and walked over to the windows. "It's over now. Let's just put this in the past. Jack's back in jail, and he'll be stuck there until trial. It's over."

She turned back and face Casey and Elliot. "Case. You're weddings in four weeks. We should focus on that." She smiled at her friend. "OK?" She walked back to the couch. "I just need to focus on something positive and forget about this mess."

Casey stood up. "OK Liv." She reached out and gave Olivia a big hug. "But I'm still sorry this happened to you." She pulled back. "I'm going to get going. I see that you're in good hands." She raised an eyebrow and nodded towards Elliot. "I'll see you tomorrow." She put a hand on Elliot's arm as she walked by, giving it a gently squeeze, and then she let herself out.

Elliot walked over to Olivia. He could see the exhaustion on her face. "You look exhausted Liv. Let's go to bed."

EOEOEOEOEOEOEO

Every day Olivia and Elliot walked into the precinct, they waited for the dreaded moment when Cragen would call them into his office and tell them that 1PP had decided that one of them had to leave. And every day, when they left, they let out a collective sigh of relief. They hadn't talked about that potential situation any more. It was almost as if they thought that if they didn't talk about it and didn't make any decisions regarding it, it wouldn't happen.

They were still adjusting to not being partnered together, and Elliot and Fin had swapped desks. They both commented that it was strange not to be able to look up and see each other, but both agreed that it hadn't been as hard as they anticipated. There was enough teamwork between the four of them that they didn't feel so separated. They all worked together collectively on many aspects of all of their cases.

For whatever reason, the rapists and perverts of NYC had decided to give them a small break, and they hadn't had any cases that kept that at the precinct for days at a time. They had settled into a pretty regular routine, and had even discussed their future housing situation. They wanted to get rid of both of their apartments and get one place that was big enough for them to have the kids, but they knew they might have to put that off for a while. Elliot hadn't seen the kids since the somewhat disastrous dinner when he had told them about him and Olivia. He had called and talked and texted them, and Elizabeth was coming around. Dickie was being a little bit more difficult, but Elliot expected it, and was willing to be patient with him. As soon as they had a chance to talk to the kids again, and after Casey's wedding, they would start looking.

Elliot had the kids this weekend, and he had talked Olivia into coming over for dinner on Saturday night. She had resisted at first. She said she didn't want to intrude on his weekend. She didn't want the kids to think she was stealing the time they had with their father. But Elliot had rolled his eyes and told her it was just dinner, and so she relented.

EOEOEOEOEO

It was Saturday afternoon and Olivia had just gotten back from Casey's final dress fitting. It was hard to believe that the wedding was just 2 weeks away. She looked at her watch and saw it was a little after 4. She was going to leave for Elliot's in about an hour and she admitted to herself that she was a little nervous. She had known Elliot's kids for 7 years…since Liz and Dick were just 6 years old. She shouldn't feel so nervous, but she harbored some guilt because she knew they weren't adjusting to the idea very well.

When it was time to go, she hopped in a cab for the short drive over to Elliot's. She hadn't really been to his apartment very often, since he spent most of his time at her place. She realized that she didn't even have a key. She reached for the buzzer and Elliot let her in almost instantaneously. She walked up to the second floor and was greeted by Kathleen at the door.

"Olivia!" she yelled excitedly, throwing her arms around Olivia. "I'm so glad you're here."

Olivia smiled at Kathleen's enthusiasm. Kathleen had always been a bit of a free spirit and of all the Stabler children, Olivia had always been closest to her. "It's good to see you too." She said, extricating herself from the hug and walking into the apartment.

Elliot came out of the kitchen with a wooden spoon in one hand and a hot pad in the other and he gave her a big smile.

"Hey." He said, leaning over and giving her a kiss on the cheek. "I was wondering when you were going to get here. Dinner's almost ready." He started to walk back into the kitchen. "Make yourself at home."

Olivia walked into the living room and she saw Maureen and Elizabeth sitting on the couch. Maureen was reading a magazine and Liz was reading a book. They both looked up and smiled at Olivia.

"Hey Liv." They said, almost in unison and Olivia laughed.

"Hi girls." She sat down in a chair adjacent to the couch and Kathleen sat down in the chair directly across from her.

"So." Said Kathleen. "Tell us what's going on with you." She said, leaning forward in her chair.

Olivia hesitated for a minute. She wasn't used to small talk. Especially since these were the teenage daughters of her boyfriend. She cringed inwardly thinking about Elliot as her boyfriend. That didn't even begin to cover it. What was she supposed to say to these girls? The things that were going on in her life weren't things she could tell them: 1) I'm having all kinds of crazy sex with your dad. 2) I'm being stalked by some crazy guy. 3) We caught three rapists this week. "Um…"

Kathleen saved her by jumping in. "So Dad said you're friend Casey is getting married."

Olivia let out a sigh of relief. She could talk about that. "Yes! Two weeks from today. It's coming up so quickly. It seems like she just got engaged. We just went for her final dress fitting today."

Maureen jumped in. "Oh, that sounds like fun. Are you a bridesmaid?"

"I'm the Maid of Honor." Olivia said.

"Oh wow." Said Kathleen. "That sounds like so much fun."

"Is Dad going with you to the wedding?" asked Maureen.

"Well, yes, he's invited. We work with Casey so everyone in the squad is invited."

Olivia was going back and forth, fielding questions from Kathleen and Maureen. She stole a glance at Liz. She could see that she was paying attention to the conversation, but had stayed silent. She knew she should try to engage with her; try to break the ice. But she had no idea what to say to her.

"I've never been in a wedding." Said Kathleen. "I've always wanted to be."

"I have!" Liz chimed in and Olivia smiled. Here was her chance.

"Oh really? That's great! Can you tell me a little bit about that? I've never been in a wedding and I'm kind of nervous." Olivia said to the girl, and a big grin crossed Liz's face. She was the youngest girl in the family, and very rarely did she have a unique experience that she could share. She launched into being a flower girls in her uncle's wedding, and gave Olivia the run down on everything.

Olivia smiled at her enthusiasm, and was glad to see Liz engage with her. As she was wrapping up her story, she leaned towards Olivia. "If you have any questions, you can just call me." She said.

"I will do that. I'm sure I might have a few." Olivia made a vow to herself that she would make contact with the youngest Stabler girl in the next week with some kind of question so she could keep fostering that relationship.

"Time for dinner!" Elliot yelled and they all scrambled to the table. "Liz, go get your brother." He looked over at Olivia. "What do you want to drink?"

Olivia looked back at him and shrugged.

"Wine?" he asked.

"Sure." She hadn't been sure if he drank around the kids, so she hadn't wanted to suggest anything in particular.

Elliot brought a pan of lasagna to the table, along with a bottle of wine. A large bowl of salad and a loaf of garlic bread were already on the table. Elliot poured the wine as Liz came back to the table.

"Where's Dick?" he asked as she sat down.

She shrugged. "He said he's not hungry."

Elliot let out a heavy sigh of frustration and started around the table, headed towards the bedrooms. He knocked on the door and then went in, closing the door behind him. Olivia could hear him, but she couldn't make out what he was saying. The girls all looked at each other around the table, and Olivia could tell they were uncomfortable.

Maureen picked up the bowl of salad. "Let's just get started." She said, trying to break the awkward silence. As soon as she started to put some salad on her plate, they could hear the voices in the other room escalate. They still couldn't hear exactly what was being said, but she could only imagine.

Olivia felt horrible. She knew Dick wasn't joining them for dinner because of her. She watched as the girls passed the salad around, and when it got to her, she set it down. "Maybe I should go." She said, starting to stand up.

"No Liv!" said Kathleen quickly. "Dick's just being an ass." She looked at her sisters. "We don't want you to go, right?"

Maureen smiled at her. "Right."

Olivia stood up. "Really, it's OK. I didn't want to intrude on your time with your dad anyway."

Kathleen stood up. "Olivia, you're not intruding. We want you here. Dad wants you here. Dickie just needs to grow up."

Olivia hesitated and looked down at Maureen. Maureen nodded at her. "Olivia, we're glad that you and Dad are together. We know how much Dad loves you. We want him to be happy."

Kathleen was nodding her head vigorously. "You make Dad happy Olivia."

"But your brother…" Olivia said. "I don't want to come in between you kids and your Dad. I can't bear that."

Elizabeth stood up and walked over to Olivia. She wrapped her arms around Olivia's waist and looked up at her. "I want you to stay Olivia." She said shyly. "I really do."

Olivia smiled down at the girl and wrapped her arms around her. "That means so much to me Liz." She said. Maureen and Kathleen walked over and wrapped their arms around Olivia too and they all started laughing quietly.

Elliot walked out of the bedroom and slammed the door behind him. He walked into the dining room and stopped when he saw the girls wrapped around Olivia. At that moment, despite the trouble with Dick, he knew that things were going to be OK with his kids and Olivia. He smiled as he walked towards them.

The girls broke away from Olivia and started moving back to their seats.

Olivia raised an eyebrow and Elliot knew what she was silently asking. But that was a conversation for later.

"More lasagna for us." He said, as he started dishing it up.

_We're getting close to the end of this story! Next up. Some adult time with our favorite detectives and Casey's wedding! Please leave a review!_


	59. Chapter 59

OK. I know everyone is anxious for a little adult time, so here we go.

EOEOEOEOEO

When dinner was over, they all cleaned up the dishes. The girls wanted to play a game, so they played Monopoly. Olivia couldn't think of the last time she had played a game, and the girls couldn't believe she had never played Monopoly. Olivia smiled. Her mother was an academic and a drunk…she had quite a different childhood than they did, but she wasn't about to explain that to them.

Olivia leaned over to Elliot while the girls were engrossed in the game, asking if he should try to talk to Dick again. Elliot shook his head, telling her not to worry about it. Olivia felt badly. She didn't want to get in between Elliot and any of his kids, but he read her mind, and told her it would be fine. They finished up the game and the girls decided they wanted to watch a movie, but Olivia said she had to go. The girls didn't want her to leave but she felt like she'd taken enough of his time.

"I'm going to walk you out Liv." Elliot said. He looked at the girls as they said goodbye. "Get the movie started and I'll be right back."

"I can walk myself out Elliot." she said. "I _am_ a cop you know."

He leaned in a little closer to her. "I know. But I'm walking you out." he said. Olivia smiled, finally understanding what he was trying to tell her. She waved at the girls as she walked out, Elliot close behind her.

They had walked a short way down the hall when Elliot grabbed her hand and pulled her to a halt. He turned her around towards him and pushed her up gently against the wall, pinning her lightly with his body. He leaned in, threading his hands through her hair, and kissed her. He opened her mouth with his and deepened the kiss, until she pushed at his chest with her hands.

"Elliot." she said, smiling.

"I've been wanting to do that since you got here." He kissed her again. "I missed you."

Olivia rolled her eyes. "It's been 24 hours El."

"The longest 24 hours of my life." he said, smirking at her. "Besides. I only one got quick kiss as I walked out the door."

"Not my fault you were running late." Olivia said, pushing off the wall and forcing Elliot to take a step back.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked, pushing her back against the wall gently, his hands on her biceps. He dropped his hands to her waist and his mouth to her neck, kissing and sucking his way down to her collarbone.

Olivia could feel heat rushing to her core. The things this man did to her.

"El." she moaned. "The kids are going to wonder where you are." she said, pushing him off her again. "You'll be home tomorrow for chrissakes." Her insides were screaming, wanting him to continue this wonderful torture, but she knew what she'd said was true. Any minute, Liz was going to poke her head out the apartment door looking for her dad.

"They know where I am." he mumbled. "They're not stupid." He trailed his tongue over her collarbone and down towards her breasts and Olivia's head knocked back into the wall.

"El." she said in a whisper, her attempt to stop him pathetic. "Are you going to have sex with me in this hallway?"

Elliot lifted his mouth from her cleavage and looked up at her. "Do you think we could get away with it?" he smirked at her.

"It would be great if two cops from SVU got arrested for public indecency." she joked, pushing him away yet again.

Elliot wiggled his eyebrows at her. "Where is your sense of adventure?" he asked, grabbing her hand and pulling her down the hall. He walked her out of the building and to her car. He leaned in to kiss her again before she could open the car door. "When I get home tomorrow night…" He kissed her and then opened the door for her.

Olivia raised an eyebrow at him. "Yes?"

"Use your imagination." he said, closing the door as she got in. He stood back and waved as she drove off.

EOEOEOEOEO

Olivia woke up the next morning and saw the sun was shining. She would have loved to roll over and go back to sleep, but she decided she should probably go for a run instead. Since Elliot had moved in, her exercise regimen had gotten all messed up. Casey was complaining that she wasn't meeting her at the gym, but Olivia preferred the activities that were going on at home. She smiled, thinking about what Elliot had said the night before. She was already anxious for him to get home. She shook her head. She had lived alone for such a long time. She was surprised at how quickly she'd become used to have him around.

She got out of bed and put on her running gear, lacing up her shoes and getting her headphones. She checked her phone and didn't see any new messages since Elliot had texted her late last night. Hopefully he was sleeping in.

When she got back, she took a long, hot shower and got ready for the rest of the day. When she got out of the shower, she saw she had a text from Elliot.

"_Want to join us for lunch_?"

Olivia sighed. She wanted Elliot to spend the weekend with his kids. She knew a time would come would they would spend more time together, but she wanted to ease into that.

"_I'll see you tonight El. Text me when you're on your way back from Queens_." she texted back, knowing he would protest. She closed her messaging app, determined not to let him change her mind.

EOEOEOEO

Elliot had texted Olivia when he was headed back to Manhattan, but she hadn't responded. He hoped she was home because he had really missed her. When he reached the apartment, he let himself in.

"Liv?" He called out. He dropped his keys and other things on the kitchen counter and looked into the living room. He didn't see her there and looked towards the bedroom. He saw the door was closed, and he listened to determine if he could hear the shower running.

He headed for the bedroom door and knocked lightly. "Liv?" he called. He opened the door slightly and peeked in, not wanting to startle her. "Liv?" He said again, taking a step into the room. His voice caught in his throat when he saw her sitting on the bed.

"It's about time you got home." she said, her voice low and husky.

Elliot took a few more steps into the room and stopped, taking her in. She was sitting on the bed…completely naked. Her left leg was bent at the knee and tucked beneath her. Her right leg crossed over her left, her knee bent and her foot resting on the bed. The room was lit with what had to be twenty candles. They cast a soft light on her tanned body and Elliot saw a long string of pearls looped around her neck and trailing between her breasts. Her hair was messy and her lips were glossed, and she had a glass of wine in her hand.

She licked her bottom lip as she stood and stared, speechless. She took a sip of her wine and looked at him through her dark lashes.

"El?" she asked, a slow smile crossing her face at his reaction. "You told me to use my imagination." she teased, taking another sip of wine.

The truth was, she had wracked her brain all afternoon on how she could surprise him. She had finally decided to just cut to the chase…why bother with lingerie when she knew tonight would be fast and hard? It was always like that when they'd gone a few days without having sex. Not that she was complaining. There was a part of her that liked Elliot went he went into his dominant mode.

She could see by the look on his face that she _had_ surprised him. He was still rooted in place, his eyes roaming up and down her body.

"Jesus Liv." He said finally. "Are you trying to kill me?" He whipped his t-shirt over his head and dropped it on the floor. He went for his belt and his jeans, and when they dropped to the floor, Olivia could see the length of his erection through his boxer briefs. He started towards the bed and she put up a hand.

"Drop them." she commanded and he paused. She could see him contemplating if he should listen to her, but his hesitation was momentary. He hooked his fingers into the waistband of his shorts and pulled them down, freeing his erection. He took a step towards the bed and Olivia put up a hand again.

¨Stop.¨ She let her eyes roam over his body, taking in the hard lines of his chest, the muscles in his arms, his toned abs. Then her eyes trailed south and she licked her lips as she thought about having him inside her. That was enough for Elliot. He took the last few steps towards the bed and grabbed the glass of wine from her hand.

He wasn´t gentle as he climbed on the bed. He pushed her down on the bed and devoured her mouth, his hands moving between her legs. He ran his fingers through her folds while he drove his tongue into her mouth, and he could feel the slickness there. Olivia ran her arms up his sides and wrapped them around his neck as they continued their assault on each other´s mouths. Elliot ran his fingers down to her opening and slid two fingers inside, causing Olivia to gasp. He pulled his fingers out quickly and knocked her legs apart with his hips. He drove his tongue back into her mouth as he drove himself between her legs and Olivia pulled her mouth from his as she gasped at his sudden entrance. It was a mix of pleasure and pain as her body worked to accommodate the sudden intrusion.

¨Fuck Liv.¨ Elliot gasped in her ear and he pulled himself almost all the way out and then drove back into her…hard. She let out a yell at the sensation and he looked in her eyes. ¨Am I hurting you…¨ he started to ask but she captured his mouth with hers and bucked her hips up. He did it again and Olivia´s head dropped back as he continued to drive into her. He could feel her walls starting to clench around him and he pulled out.

¨Not gonna be that easy Liv.¨ he said. Olivia groaned. She had been on the edge…Elliot could make her climax faster than any man she´d been with…and then the bastard stopped.

She reached for him but he pulled away, his mouth dropping to her breasts. He took her in his mouth and started teasing her sensitive nipples with tongue. He bit her lightly and her body jolted. She moaned and pushed her hips back into his.

¨Elliot.¨ she groaned. ¨Fuck me goddamnit.¨

She wrapped her long legs around him, pushing her heels into his ass, trying to force him inside. He grabbed her thighs and pulled her legs apart, bracing his forearms against the inside of her thighs. He pistoned his hips and drove back into her, going deeper now that she was more open to him.

Olivia gasped, unable to move as he held her legs wide. She laid her head back and grabbed the sheets beside her, trying to get purchase as Elliot pounded into her.

¨El. Fuck!¨ She could feel her entire body starting to shudder. ¨Oh shit. Oh shit.¨ she moaned as she could feel herself going over the edge. Her entire body clenched and she felt weak as her orgasm ripped through her body. Elliot kept driving into her and she didn´t think she was going to be able to stand the sensations coursing through her body. She let out another string of expletives with his name in the mix until he started to yell right alongside her.

¨Fuck Liv!¨ Elliot yelled as he came, pouring himself inside her. Her walls were clenched around him like a vise and it was all he could do to keep her body from pushing him out. He collapsed heavily on top of her and then quickly tried to prop his weight up on his forearms. He failed and fell to her side, losing contact with her. He heard an audible gasp from Olivia as their connection was broken.

¨Sorry.¨ he mumbled into the side of her head, too spent to even lift up his head. He rolled over on to his back and pulled her body towards him. Olivia curled up on her side¸ resting her head on his chest.

"Fuck Liv." he said, running his hand up and down her back. "You've got a hell of an imagination." He kissed the top of her head. "Sorry if I was a little rough with you." He reached down with his other arm and lifted her chin so she was looking up at him. "Are you OK?"

Olivia smiled. "You worry too much." This wasn't the first time she'd had a lover that was a little rough; in fact she'd had it rougher. She trusted Elliot implicitly and she knew he would never hurt her.

"Just. Liv. You have to tell me…"

Olivia interrupted him. "Shut up El and kiss me." Elliott rolled her onto her back and ran his hands over the strand of pearls that had settled back between her breasts.

"Liv. You're going to be the death of me…so fucking sexy." He trailed his hand down to her stomach and trailed his fingers back and forth. Olivia put her hand on top of his, smiled up at Elliot and pushed his hand between her legs.

EOEOEOEO

The next two weeks flew by and it was finally the Friday before Casey's wedding. Olivia was excited because she had the entire weekend off, as did Elliot and the rest of the squad. She couldn't believe the day was already here…especially after all the drama that started with their damn engagement party.

Olivia was packing up a duffle bag and Elliot was lying on the bed watching her.

"I don't understand why you have to go to Casey's tonight." he complained.

"El. The wedding's out on Long Island. We have the rehearsal tonight and photos early tomorrow morning. It's too far to drive back and forth." She picked through her drawers, packing underwear and pajamas and some casual clothes. She reached into one of her drawers and pulled out a bikini.

"What's that for?" Elliot asked. He snatched it out of her hands. "I've never seen this." He looked at the two small pieces of black fabric and then looked up at her. "This fits you?" He couldn't imagine it covered very much.

Olivia snatched it back. "Yes, it fits me." She smiled. "We'll probably sit in the hot tub tonight when we get back from the rehearsal dinner."

"Who else is staying at Casey's parent's with you?" Elliot asked as Olivia towards the closet.

She pulled out a garment bag that held her bridesmaid dress and walked back towards the bed. "It's just me El. Casey and me." She walked back to the closet and picked up a pair of heels. "The other bridesmaids live on Long Island." She set the shoes down on the bed and Elliot grabbed her hand. He tugged her down on the bed and she fell on top of him. He wrapped his arms around her and rolled over, trapping her with his body. He dropped his mouth on hers, pulling her lower lip in between his. He pulled back from the kiss.

"I'm going to miss you."

Olivia rolled her eyes. "You're ridiculous El. I'll see you tomorrow."

"You booked a hotel room for tomorrow night, right?"

Olivia nodded and smiled. "Yes." She pushed her hands against his chest. "Now let me up. I have to get going."

Elliot kissed her one more time, and then rolled off of her. "Fine." He swatted her on the ass as she moved away from him. "But you have to make it up to me tomorrow night Benson." he said.

Olivia raised an eyebrow at him. "How come I'm making it up to you?"

"Because you're the one leaving me here all alone tonight."

"We'll see how you behave tomorrow." she said, zipping up her duffle bag. "Now get up and help me carry this stuff down to the car."

_Sorry I had to end this here, but the wedding is probably going to take a chapter on it's own! Thanks for reading and leaving a review…and Casey's wedding is next!_


	60. Chapter 60

**Well, I want to say thanks to all of the faithful readers of this story. This is the last chapter…and I know a lot of you are sad about that. But I'm going to keep writing, and I have some other unfinished stories that I need to complete (Choices and Together). I've also been writing some shorter stories and will continue to do that. So if you like my writing, please follow me as an author so you get notifications! And I love to hear your story ideas too! A special shout out to **_**writersrefinery**_** for reading my stuff before I post it. If you haven't read her story, you need to do it! Once again, thanks to everyone and please leave a review.**

EOEOEOEOEO

Olivia had the cabdriver drop her at Casey's apartment so they could drive out to Long Island together. Luckily, Casey's building had a doorman and he helped Olivia with her bags.

"Thanks Joe." she said, smiling at him. She didn't typically like to ask for help, but she had so much stuff for the weekend, plus a garment bag with her bridesmaids dress in it. "Can you just hold it all here? I'm running up to Casey's and then we're leaving right away."

He smiled. "Of course."

Olivia took the elevator up to Casey's floor and saw the door to her apartment was open. She went inside and saw Casey struggling with two suitcases and a duffle bag.

"Hey." said Olivia, grabbing one of the suitcases. "Looks like you're ready to go."

Casey got a big smile on her face. "I'm ready!"

"Are you sure you have everything?" Olivia asked.

Casey nodded. "More than I need. My dress and a lot of my things are already at my parent's house. This is everything I need for the weekend and for our honeymoon so I should be set."

They lugged everything downstairs and Joe helped them load everything into Casey's car. Then they headed off, ready to tackle the long drive out to Long Island and to Casey's parent's house.

EOEOEOEOEO

They got to the house and were greeted by Casey's mom. They managed to haul all of their stuff into the house in just a couple of trips, and got settled in their respective rooms. Olivia came back downstairs and walked through the living room, looking for Casey. Everything looked back to normal after the engagement party and Olivia shook her head at the memory of that night. It was hard to believe that the engagement party was almost six months ago. So much had happened since then. Olivia sighed. Everyone had mistakes they make in their life, but if she could have one do-over, that one would definitely be towards the top of the list. She knew that if it wasn't for Jack, she and Elliot may not be together right now. But when she thought of everything he had put her through...and that he just got off with probation. She couldn't dwell on it. She just had to move forward and be happy with where she and Elliot were now.

The rest of the day went by in a flash, as there were a million little errands to run and details to finalize. They went to the rehearsal at the church and then out to dinner with the wedding party at a wonderful local restaurant. It was nice to see everyone again, since she hadn't seen any of them since the bachelor/bachelorette party.

Throughout the afternoon and evening, she'd received numerous texts from Elliot and she sent a message back, telling him that she'd call him later. He was obviously bored and she smiled as the texts got more and cornier as the day went on. Finally, she excused herself to go to the bathroom and gave him a call. He answered on the first ring.

"Liv." he said.

"Hey." she answered back. "Sorry I haven't responded but I told you I was going to be really busy."

"I know. I knew you couldn't respond. I just wanted you to know that I was thinking about you."

"You're bored." Olivia said, her tone teasing.

"I miss you." he said.

Olivia smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"That seems like a long time."

"You'll survive." She laughed. "I have to get back to the dinner now."

"Will you call me later, before you go to bed?" he asked.

"I'll try." she said.

"Don't try. Do." he said, his tone serious.

Olivia laughed.

"Liv." Elliot said, his tone serious. "I…our lives before…it was so…"

Olivia could tell her was struggling with whatever he wanted to say. "I know El."

"No! You don't know. I've been thinking a lot tonight and I just have to tell you that you…that us…I was just such a fool for so many years. This is just so…right."

Olivia sighed, a smile on her face. "El…" she started but Elliot quickly interrupted.

"Liv. This isn't coming out right. Damn it."

"Elliot. I know. I know what you're trying to say. Let's just talk tomorrow. In person. OK?"

Elliot let out a heavy sigh and Olivia could tell her was still frustrated.

"Elliot. I'm not going anywhere between tonight and tomorrow."

"I love you Liv."

"I'll call you later tonight El. I love you too." She hung up, puzzled at the conversation with Elliot. It was kind of sweet that he missed her when they were apart, but this was something else. He seemed desperate to tell her something, but it was confusing because she already knew how he felt about her. She hoped it wasn't more jealousy or insecurity…they'd been through enough of that.

"Liv?" Olivia jumped when she heard Casey's voice. She didn't realized how long she'd be away. She turned and gave Casey a smile.

"Everything OK?" Casey asked.

"Yeah, everything's fine. Let's get back to the party."

EOEOEOEOEO

Olivia was up early and went through the rounds of hair and make-up to get ready for the wedding. Olivia repacked her bags since they'd be staying at the hotel tonight. They got to the church and were sequestered in a room to get dressed and ready.

Olivia looked over at Casey and sighed. She looked so amazingly beautiful in her white, strapless gown. It fit her perfectly, hugging her small waist and then dropping to a fuller skirt with a beautiful train. Her hair was simple, tucked into a perfect chignon. Olivia walked over to her.

"Casey, you look so beautiful. Aaron is going to love your dress." she said, a huge smile on her face.

Casey took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Thanks Liv. I can't believe this day is finally here."

Olivia gave her a light hug. "Thanks for letting me part of this day. I'm really happy for you."

They were interrupted by the photographer calling them for photos. They took photos, inside and outside the church, for the next couple of hours, and then broke for a small lunch.

Olivia was picking at her salad when her phone buzzed. Olivia smiled, surprised she hadn't heard from him earlier. She opened up the message.

"_I'm here. Can I see you before the wedding?"_

She hit REPLY. "_You can't see the bridesmaid before the wedding_." She teased.

"_Haha. Just one kiss_." He replied back.

"_Meet me by the main doors_." She replied back. She excused herself and walked out of the room.

EOEOEOEOEO

Elliot saw Olivia emerge from a small hallway. His breath hitched when he saw her. She was wearing a long, midnight blue gown. It was strapless, narrow at the waist and then hugged her hips as the long skirt fell to the ground. Her hair was up with a few loose tendrils framing the sides of her face, and Elliot smiled as she approached.

She smiled back, taking in the dark suit, white pressed shirt and a cornflower blue tie. She loved that damn tie. It drew your attention to those amazing baby blue eyes of his.

She reached him and Elliot leaned and gave her a kiss, resting his hands on her uppers arms. "Liv, you look beautiful."

Olivia smiled. "You don't look so bad yourself." She grabbed his tie and ran her hands down the length of it. "You know I love this tie."

Elliot wiggled his eyebrows at her. "It's my lucky tie. If you know what I mean."

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Subtle."

They chatted for a few minutes before Olivia told Elliot she had to get back. Guests were starting to arrive and the wedding would be starting shortly.

"I'll see you later El." Olivia said, giving him a kiss and walking back towards the rest of the wedding party.

EOEOEOEOEOEO

The wedding was absolutely perfect, and Casey looked absolutely radiant. When they were presented as husband and wife, the entire wedding party faced the congregation, and Olivia caught Elliot's eye and smiled as everyone cheered and clapped. She walked down the aisle with Isaac, and could feel Elliot's eyes on her the entire time.

When the congregation filed out of the church, the wedding party was waiting in the narthex, the bridesmaids and groomsmen off to the side as everyone congratulated Casey and Aaron. Elliot walked over and gave her a kiss, but Olivia pulled away when Fin and Munch walked up. Elliot raised an eyebrow, surprised when she took a step back. He leaned over and whispered in her ear.

"It's OK Liv. Everyone knows, remember?" He slid an arm around her waist and Olivia relaxed into it. She was so used to keeping her feelings under wrap. It was going to be an adjustment to just act like a normal couple in front of their friends and co-workers.

They chatted a little with Fin and Munch, and then Cragen came over and joined them. Soon, it was time to leave and head over to the reception.

"I have to ride over with Casey, OK?" Olivia said. "Can I give you my bags?"

Elliot grabbed her things and loaded them in the car. He walked Olivia over to the limo.

"Am I ever going to get you alone?" He growled as he put his hands on her waist and pulled her towards him. He kissed her and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Later." She gave him a quick kiss and pulled away, turning to get into the limo.

EOEOEOEO

The reception hall was beautifully decorated and there was soft music playing when they arrived. There was a cocktail reception and Olivia was able to spend some more time with Elliot and the rest of the squad. Elliot remembered some of the people he'd met at the party and he was having a better time than he thought he would. He couldn't take his eyes off Olivia. She was so animated, laughing and talking, and Elliot realized he didn't get to see that side of her very often. The weight of what they did was oppressive and they bore it every day. Elliot made a mental note to make more of these moments; to make more time for fun and lightness in their life. He wanted to make Olivia happy…and he was suddenly overwhelmed with how much he loved her.

They had to sit down for dinner, and once again, Elliot was separated from her as she sat with the bridal party. He sat with the rest of the squad and everyone commented on how happy Casey looked. When dinner was finished, everyone was moved into an adjacent room, and a small ensemble was playing. Olivia walked over to Elliot and the rest of the squad.

"I'm officially relieved of duty" She joked, placing her flowers on the high top table. She grabbed a flute of champagne off the tray as a server passed by and took a sip. They turned as people started moving to the small dance floor.

"At least they're not playing that awful wedding music." Munch said, appreciating the soft music. "No hokey pokey or other stupid wedding dances." He turned to Olivia and held out a hand. "Liv, will you dance with me?"

Olivia smiled and took his hand, moving out to the dance floor. She was on the dance floor for quite a while, as she danced with Cragen, and then Isaac and some of the other guys in the wedding party. She was surprised that Elliot hadn't interrupted, claiming a dance for himself. When the music stopped, she moved back over to the table.

"My feet are already killing me." she said, leaning against the table. Elliot moved in close, wrapping his arms around her behind and nuzzling his face in her hair.

"You looked like you were having a good time." he said.

Olivia nodded. "You didn't dance with me."

"Hmm." Elliot didn't respond, but swayed slightly to the music, just happy to have her in his arms. The lights were low and the soft music was playing and they both sighed in contentment as they watched people dancing.

"Liv. Do you have any idea how much I love you?" They kept swaying softly to the music and Olivia let her head fall back against his shoulder. She looked up at him and smiled. She closed her eyes and Elliot wrapped his arms a little tighter around her body.

Elliot was so content; he didn't want this moment to end. He sighed as he nuzzled her ear. "Liv." He whispered. "Let's get married."

Olivia opened her eyes, her head coming off his shoulder. "What?" She asked, surprise evident in her voice.

Elliot turned her around to face him, his hands on her upper arms, sliding them up and down lightly. "Let's get married."

Olivia still had a shocked expression on her face. "Elliot…"

Elliot slid his hands down her arms until her hands were in his. "Olivia. I love you. I want to marry you…have a family." He slowly slid to the floor, getting down on one knee while he held on to Olivia's hands. "Olivia Benson. Will you marry me?"

Elliot looked up at her hopefully; but inside he was scared as hell. He didn't know where this spontaneous proposal had come from. He hadn't intended to propose. But just being at this wedding and seeing how happy Casey and Aaron were...he knew he wanted all of this with Olivia. He looked up at her and saw tears threatening her lower lashes.

"El. I don't know what to say…I wasn't expecting this." She looked up and saw that people were watching them.

"Say yes Liv. Just one little word."

Olivia looked down at Elliot. She saw the sincerity in his face, the love in his eyes.

She smiled at him. "Yes." She said softly. "I'll marry you."

Elliot stood up quickly and pulled her to him, kissing her deeply. He pulled back. "You've made me the happiest man alive." He pulled back and looked at her. "I don't have a ring. I didn't plan this. I'm sorry."

Olivia shook her head. "I don't care about that." she said and buried her face into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

Casey came over and let out a small squeal, reaching for Olivia. "Oh my God! Did Stabler just _propose_?!" She pulled Olivia into a hug when Olivia nodded. The rest of the team gathered around them, offering their congratulations.

"I knew it was only a matter of time." said Fin, punching Elliot in the shoulder. "Remember what I said." he told him, referring back to a conversation where he told Elliot he'd kick his ass if he hurt her.

"I remember." Elliot said. "Not going to be a problem."

Olivia turned to Casey. "I didn't mean to draw attention away from you. This is your day. I didn't have any idea."

Elliot chimed in. "_I_ didn't have any idea." He chuckled.

Casey laughed. "It's fine Liv. I'm happy that the two of you finally got your shit together." She looked around and motioned to a waiter with a tray of drinks. "Let's have a toast."

_**Approximately 6 months later….**_

Everything was going great for Elliot and Olivia. Elliot and Olivia had picked out a ring together, and they were in the middle of planning the wedding. It was going to be a small affair, with just their family and closest friends. The date was coming up…just three months from now.

They had told Kathy and the kids, and the kids had been excited. They were spending a lot more time together, and even Dick had come around. Elliot and Olivia had found a new apartment, with plenty of room for the kids. They had moved in just a month ago, and we're still getting settled.

Elliot was still used to working with Munch. Of course, Olivia and Fin got along great, and Elliot's level of concern had dropped as he was getting used to the change. So far, everything had gone smoothly and Olivia kept telling him that he had no reason to worry.

Elliot was out with Munch right now, canvassing for witnesses on a rape last night. They were knocking on a door when his phone rang. He looked down and saw it was Cragen.

"Elliot. It's Liv. She's at Mercy."

"What?" Elliot yelled into the phone.

"She's going to be OK Elliot." Elliot didn't even hear the rest as he hung up the phone. He looked at Munch. "I have to get to Mercy. It's Liv."

"I'll drive." said Munch, knowing that Elliot couldn't focus when he was worried about Olivia. They jumped in the sedan and headed off to Mercy, siren blaring.

They got to Mercy and Munch let Elliot off at the Emergency entrance before he went to park. Elliot ran in and up to the intake desk. "Olivia Benson." The nurse directed him and he took off towards the elevators. He finally found the room and saw Olivia on the hospital bed¸ surrounded by nurses. He rushed to her side.

"Liv." He said, grabbing her hand. He turned and saw a doctor. "Is everything OK?"

The doctor nodded and turned his attention back to Olivia. "OK Olivia. I need you to push."

Olivia grabbed Elliot's hand and looked up at him, and she saw the surprised expression on his face. "This little one decided to come a couple of weeks early. And I guess I waited a little long to go to the hospital." she said, through gritted teeth.

"Jesus." Elliot looked at the doctor. "She's already ready to push?"

Olivia groaned as another contraction wracked her body.

"Push" said the doctor and Elliot braced her as she grunted and bore down.

"You can do this Liv." Elliot whispered.

Her contraction ended and Olivia fell back against the pillows, breathing heavily. Another contraction started and Olivia leaned forward again, pushing hard…moaning and yelling.

"Here we go…the heads through. One more push Olivia."

Olivia bore down one last time until she felt the pressure leave her body and heard a small cry. She dropped back on the pillows and closed her eyes, tears streaming down her face as she heard the small cries.

"It's a girl!" The doctor said, handing the baby to the nurse. He cut the cord and the nurse brought the baby over to Olivia, laying her on her chest. Tears were still falling, and Elliot leaned over and kissed his little girl. Then he kissed Olivia. "God Liv. You're a mommy…we have a daughter." He kissed her again. "I love you."

Olivia looked up at Elliot. "We're a family." she whispered. She ran her hands over her daughter, before she pulled her close and placed kisses on her face. The baby quieted and Elliot kissed Olivia on the forehead. He looked down at Olivia and his new daughter, and he thought about everything that had happened in the past year. He sighed, marveling at how everything had worked out…he had everything he wanted.

"We're a family Liv. Forever."

_**Finis**_

Thank you!


End file.
